The Story of Another Us
by laurenk24
Summary: In the sequel to Girl Meets Fortitude, the gang finds themselves divided and living on opposite sides of the country. But one event will bring them back together again. (Full summary in the Preface.) [OCs, Joshaya, Riarkle]
1. Preface: Girl Meets Ten Years

**Story description after the lyrics! I'm so excited for this one, I can't wait! - Lauren**

* * *

The Story of Another Us - 5 Seconds of Summer

 _Play the scene, over again,  
before the credits rolling in,  
Inside my head  
I don't recall a single word,  
you hit me faster than I hurt  
Inside my head_

 _And now I'm shaking, wearing thin  
I've always wondered where you've been  
Tell me if you wanted it all_

 _I got a long-term plan with short-term fixes,  
And a wasted heart to that just eclipses  
And I push my luck and trust the dust enough  
That's the story of another us._

 _One last ditch and new beginnings,  
So take this heart, put yourself in it,  
This surprise ending I'm depending on,  
Could be the story of another us,  
The story of another us._

 _Memories are pay-per-view,  
It costs too much to think of you,  
I'm hanging by a thread  
And ever long before we're done,  
I see quick to what we've begun,  
I'm hanging by a thread._

 _And now before our hope is lost,  
My heart is here, it's such a cause,  
Tell me if you wanted it at all_

 _I got a long-term plan with short-term fixes,  
And a wasted heart to that just eclipses  
And I push my luck and trust the dust enough  
That's the story of another us._

 _One last ditch and new beginnings,  
So take this heart, put yourself in it,  
This surprise ending I'm depending on,  
Could be the story of another us,  
The story of another us._

 _Drowning beside you,  
Where I'll be to remind you,  
We're still first in line for  
The front row of last resorts._

 _I got a long-term plan with short-term fixes,  
And a wasted heart to that just eclipses  
And I push my luck and trust the dust enough  
That's the story of another us._

 _One last ditch and new beginnings,  
So take this heart, put yourself in it,  
This surprise ending I'm depending on,  
Could be the story of another us,  
The story of another us._

* * *

Still living three thousand miles apart from her old friend, Riley has found her niche in the dance industry as a choreographer, travelling the country to choreograph for studios, television shows, movies, and celebrities. Maya is an architecture student at New York University, finishing up her final year and working toward her Master's Degree. It's been ten long years since the two last crossed paths.

Until now. A breakthrough opportunity sends Maya across the country to Los Angeles to have her work showcased at the prestigious Art Factory, where it just so happens that one Riley Matthews is teaching a Master Class. When the two girls meet again, it's no longer like it was ten years ago. It's very, _very_ different. As a result, the girls begin to wonder what life would've been like had nothing changed.

And so begins the tale told by the two girls in an effort to rediscover their friendship and to restore what they used to have. Because when they do, they just might find themselves again, along the way.


	2. One: Girl Meets the Phone Call

**Hey all! There's going to be two 'groups' of characters, I guess you could say, that are going to be focused on in this book. One is the Cali-Group, which will focus on Riley, her new roommate Aspen, Aspen's friend Jolie, Charlie, and of course, Lucas. The other group is the NYC-Group, which consists of Maya, Josh, Maya's friend Kaelyn, and James, whom you all got a glimpse of in the epilogue of GMF.**

 **I'm super excited to be starting this one, it's going to be killer. Right away, I'm going to jump into the NYC-Group, since this will be the only chapter in the first five or so that take place in actual New York City.**

 **First, to all you Joshaya fans, never fear, they're still together. At RISD, James became Maya's mentor (he's the same age as Josh), and Kaelyn became Maya's friend through James, as both have similar upbringings and talents (but Kaelyn is a graphic designer). Right now, Maya's at NYU and living off-campus with Josh, James and Kaelyn.**

 **Also, I changed the university, Maya's no longer going to be attending Yale, she's going to be at NYU. There's still a great architecture program there! It just makes more sense for her to be closer to home for the direction I'm headed here.**

 **In chapter two, we're going to jump to California and focus on the Cali-Group then. I'm going to recap what's been going on with that gang when we get to the next chapter.**

 **Hope you like it!**

 **Lauren.**

* * *

"Maya, will you get the phone already?" Kaelyn Riucci yelled. "It's been ringing for at _least_ thirty seconds!"

"Fine," Maya snapped, standing up from her drawing table and marching- no, stomping- across the room to get the phone. "Hello?" she asked, sitting down on the couch.

"Hi, this is Hannah Merkle, I'm looking for Maya Hart?"

Maya froze. Hannah Merkle was one of the teenage artist prodigies. She usually worked at the biggest art shows across the country. She swallowed. "This is Maya speaking."

"Hi Maya! I don't know if you know, but this year I've been asked to put together a team of artists to showcase their talents at an event that my team put together many years ago. It's called the Art Factory."

The Art Factory? That was Maya's favourite thing to go to every year. "Yeah, I know what the Art Factory is," she replied. "I've been going for the last two years."

"Awesome! Well, I'm calling you today to ask if you'd like to have some of your artwork featured in it this year," Hannah said.

That was when Maya's heart stopped. She had to hold the phone away from her ear to do a deep breath and exhale. "Wow, Hannah, that sounds awesome. I'd love to."

"Great, Maya, just great." Hannah was writing something down on the other end.

Maya hastened to add, "Who else have you got on board this year?"

"Well, I haven't called many people, but, and again, I'm not sure if you know her, but I called Riley Matthews and she recommended you for the showcase. She said your artistic talents are indescribable. She knows a lot of prominent people in the arts and performing industry, so she's usually my number one consultant. This year I finally managed to persuade her to take part in it this year. She'll be teaching a dance master class, since she doesn't dance anymore."

Wait. Riley was Hannah's primary consultant for the Art Factory? Why hadn't she recommended Maya ever before? "Oh, Riley and I used to go to school together," Maya said conversationally. "That's great."

"Glad to have you on board, Maya. The showcase starts in three weeks, but we want you there in a week and a half so you can start setting up. Also, you'll need to get a headshot and a little biography of what you've been up to as an artist. If you'll leave your email with me now, I'll send out an email with everything that you'll need to know and do before you get there."

"Sounds great, Hannah," Maya said, before leaving her email address with her. "Thanks so much."

"You should be thanking Riley, not me, but if you're not close anymore, I'll definitely forward the message. Bye!"

Maya hung up the phone. She had to pull up her portfolio again, peruse through it and find things suitable for the showcase. But there was still something bothering her. Of course, she was thrilled that Riley had mentioned her for the showcase. She wasn't sure if Riley had forgotten about her, or just been too busy to give her a call the last ten years.

Why hadn't she done it sooner though?

"Who was on the phone?" Kaelyn asked, coming into the room and interrupting Maya's train of thought.

"Oh, Hannah Merkle," Maya replied.

Kaelyn's gray eyes grew huge. "Maya, that's amazing! What did she want?"

"To ask me to showcase my works at the Art Factory," Maya said excitedly.

"Maya, that's fabulous," Kaelyn squealed. "I'm so proud of you, wait until Josh and James hear about this!"

"Where are they, anyways?" Maya asked.

"They're at the Rangers game," Kaelyn said, shaking her head. "Weren't you listening when they told us two days ago?"

"Sorry, no," Maya said. "I've been working on the Manhattan Project."

The Manhattan Project (not even remotely close to the Manhattan Project of World War Two) was a project one of her architecture professors had assigned to her class. They were given a picture of a part of Manhattan and asked to add an important building to that part of Manhattan. She was struggling with it, mostly because the space she'd been given was so crowded and densely populated that she was going to have to knock down a few buildings to be able to create the one she had in mind. And if she did go ahead with that, she'd have to explain in her written report why she'd chosen to remove those buildings.

"How's that going, anyways?" Kaelyn asked, sitting down next to Maya on the couch.

"It's coming along," she said with a heavy sigh. "I've figured out which buildings to get rid of, at least."

"That's good," Kaelyn said. "I can't believe you're going to be at the Art Factory, Maya. That's huge for your career."

"Yeah, but now I've got to pull out my old portfolio from RISD to find pieces to showcase," Maya said. "I also have to come up with a theme for my little exhibit."

"I have an idea," Kaelyn said. "How about, 'Home is where the Hart Is'?"

Maya made a face. "That's super lame, Kae."

Kaelyn shrugged. "Hey, I tried."

"A lot of my artwork is about finding out who I am," Maya explained. "It was never really about my home life."

"You could call it 'My-a Hart'?" Kaelyn giggled.

Maya threw a pencil at her. "Stop."

"All right, all right," Kaelyn said, holding her hands up in surrender. "You should text Josh."

Maya shook her head. "I'd rather tell him in person. James too. They're both such important people in my life that I should tell them both at the same time."

"Fair enough," Kaelyn said, standing up. "Are you done for the night? Let's go celebrate."

They ended up at a trendy cafe near Madison Square Garden, where the boys were busy watching the Rangers game. Kaelyn looked at Maya across the table and grinned. "I see someone's taking their fashion cues from me!"

Maya laughed, because Kaelyn had been the one who'd bought her the pants she was wearing, her green coat, and her pink top. "I have to admit, I wasn't sure the pink and the green would go well, but they really do."

Kaelyn mock-bowed. "Point for the fashion major."

They ordered and then chatted a bit about the Art Factory. Kaelyn was intrigued by the fact that Riley had been the one who'd put Maya up for the position. "She's Josh's niece, right?" Kaelyn asked.

"Yeah, she and I were best friends back in elementary and high school," Maya replied. "A lot's changed, though." Her gaze fell to the engagement ring on her finger. "I don't even know if Josh told her that we were getting married."

"Are you going to invite her to the wedding?" Kaelyn asked.

"Of course, she's related to my fiance," Maya said, rolling her eyes. "When we were younger, she and I decided that we were going to be the maid of honor at each others' weddings. But I think I would feel so awkward asking her to do that, especially since you and I are so much closer."

"There's still time to ask her," Kaelyn reminded her. "You'll see her in California anyways, and I won't be offended if you ask her instead of me, believe me. I've known you for eight years, and you've known her all your life. There's a lot of history there."

"Yeah," Maya said softly. Truthfully, she wasn't really looking forward to seeing Riley in California. She wasn't sure how the interaction was going to go. She feared it might be so awkward that it would be impossible to rekindle their friendship again.

"Do you still talk to her?" Kaelyn asked.

"No, not since high school graduation," Maya admitted.

"Wow," Kaelyn stated. "That's like ten years ago, Maya."

"I know," Maya sighed.

"Do you even know what she's up to nowadays?"

"No." That was the hardest part to admit, that the two of them had essentially thrown away their friendship for the sake of their careers and passions. The busier they both became, the harder it was to stay in touch. Maya couldn't remember if either of them had really made an effort to keep their friendship going. Riley never came home for Christmas, she was always starring in some production or booking jobs. And if she did manage to come home, Maya was back in Rhode Island, struggling to finish a multitude of projects that even now, she couldn't believe she'd finished.

"Do you wish you did?" Kaelyn asked.

"Yeah."

Later that night, when dinner had finished, and she'd told Josh and James about her huge opportunity, there had been a huge celebration, lots of champagne, and of course, lots of kissing. Because that's what Josh loved to do whenever either of them had a breakthrough with their careers. But once that was over, they'd gone to bed. Maya probably didn't actually fall asleep until the early hours of the morning.

She was too busy thinking about California.

 _Is this Riley's way of wanting to fix things between us?_ she couldn't help but wonder. _What's going to happen when we see each other again? Has Josh told his family about the engagement, because she would know if he had._ The problem was, they'd gotten engaged two days prior to Hannah's phone call. She wasn't sure who Josh had told.

"What are you thinking about?" Josh asked her, sitting up sleepily.

"Why are you awake?" she whispered.

"Why are you?" he fired back.

"Just thinking," she sighed. "Did you tell anyone about us getting engaged?"

"Yeah, I told Eric, Cory, and Morgan. I know you told your parents, and I told mine," Josh replied. "Well, I told my mom. Dad's not exactly..." he trailed off. Alan Matthews had passed a few months ago, and Maya knew that it was still hard for Josh to cope. She squeezed his hand. "Why?" he asked after swallowing hard.

"I was just wondering if Riley knew."

"You didn't tell her?" Josh asked incredulously.

"I didn't know how to. After not speaking for ten years, I couldn't just call her up and say, 'Hey, I'm gonna be your aunt, just like we joked about all those years ago!' That would be so awkward!"

"Maya, calm down," Josh pleaded. "I'm sure Cory told her, he tells her everything."

"Well, it should make for a very interesting encounter between the two of you then," Josh replied.

"Maybe that's why she recommended me," Maya realized. "Because she knows that you and I are getting married and she wants to fix everything between us. And the only way she could bring me to California was to mention my name to Hannah."

"That, and you're an amazing artist and Riley of all people knows that," Josh said.

"I guess," Maya said. "But Hannah said that Riley's the one who suggested she call me about doing the project."

"You'll just have to ask Riley when you see her." Josh laid down and wrapped his hands around the only girl he's ever really loved. "Go to sleep, babe. You have a morning class tomorrow."

Maya snuggled into his embrace. "All right. Good night," she whispered.

Josh brushed her lips with his. "Night."

* * *

 **If you guys aren't familiar with the way I write, I also post links of what the characters are wearing in this chapter (the way I did with Girl Meets Fortitude). Since FF doesn't allow for the posting of actual links, I have to write 'dot' and 'slash' for each dot and slash in the URL. It's a pain, but I want to be able to share all my creations with you guys. I've also included Maya's engagement ring (which is heart-shaped, because Josh is a little corny and too sweet.)**

 **Kaelyn & Maya's Outfits: www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=183583751**

 **Maya's Engagement Ring:** **i1167 dot photobucket dot com slash albums slash q633 slash lauren23193 slash hart dot jpg**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Lauren.**


	3. Two: Girl Meets Riley's New Town

**All right folks, it's time for the Cali-Update. What's happened to the gang on this side of the country in the last ten years? So...(please don't hate me please don't pleaseeee) but Rucas is more like No-cas. I think I'm funny when I'm not. Basically, Lucas decided to ditch Columbia after his first-year and go to vet school in California, where he would be closer to Riley. However, he then met Aspen and the two fell head over heels for each other. So they're together. #Luspen**

 **If at this point you're cringing because that means Riley and Charlie are together and you don't at all ship Riarlie, don't, because they're not together either. Charlie's actually with Aspen's friend Jolie. #Cholie? #Jarlie? IDK. Anyhow, they've been married for a year now.**

 **So now you might be asking, 'Who's Riley with then?'. Fair question. Riley's not with anyone at the moment. She's enjoying her life as a choreographer and she's planning to work at Jolie's dance studio, 'The Far West Movement'. She's too busy to be tied down right now. But who knows...there might be someone coming in her future.**

 **This chapter picks up where Maya's left off...Riley's talking to Hannah Merkle about the Art Factory and what role she's going to play in it, and the advertising she's going to have to do. This is a few days after Hannah calls Maya and invites her to join the A.F.**

 **Here's Riley's outfit for the chapter: www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=183589448**

 **Everyone else's outfits:** **www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=183933770**

 **I also wanted to make note that Riley, Maya, Lucas, Charlie, Aspen, and Jolie are all 28 in this book. Kaelyn is 29 (she's a year older than them), and Josh and James are both 31. In case you were all wondering.**

 **Read on! - Laur.**

* * *

"Ready, five, six, seven, eight," Riley counted off. She was teaching a contemporary class at Jolie's studio before planning to meet up with Hannah for lunch. "Good job ladies!" she added when they were finished. "I'll see you again tomorrow."

"By Riley!" the girls called as they left the studio. Riley unplugged her phone from the speakers and packed up her things before heading to the front desk to chat with Jolie for a bit.

"Hey, Riles, how was it?" Jolie Verde-Gardner asked. Despite coming to the US ten years ago, she still carried a hint of her French accent.

"Good," Riley said. "Do you need me to come in again tomorrow or can you find another person? I have a feeling Hannah will want me to help set up for the Art Factory," she explained.

"If you can't make it, let me know and I'll do it," Jolie said. "The girls have been working hard, and it looks good. There isn't much you still need to do, right?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Riley shrugged.

"Are you meeting Hannah now?" Jolie asked.

"Yeah," Riley replied.

"All right, we'll see you tonight," Jolie said, smiling. "You're doing a great job, by the way."

"Thanks," Riley said, smiling. "They're really easy to work with."

She quickly grabbed the bus on its way to downtown Los Angeles. She was supposed to meet with Hannah in fifteen minutes, and she was cutting it close. But fifteen minutes later, she rushed into the restaurant, out of breath but on time. Barely. Hannah waved her over, and she collapsed into the chair across from her. "Hey," she said breathlessly.

"Hey," Hannah replied. "I'd ask how you are, but you seem too out of breath, so I'm just going to hop right in."

"Go ahead," Riley managed.

Hannah opened her file folder and spread out a bunch of papers on the table. "Okay, here's how it's going to work. I've booked the Los Angeles Convention Center-"

Riley smiled. The site of her first Nationals win so many years ago.

"-and I know you've been there before. So I have about six artists that have agreed to showcase, including your old friend Maya. We're going to put them across the room and they're going to have about a hundred and fifty square feet each to showcase whatever works their bringing for their own exhibits. Then, across the room, we're going to have people that have registered beforehand online doing the masterclass with you, Jolie, and Aspen. We're using your name and Jolie's studio to promote the masterclass portion of the event."

"What are the numbers like for those that have registered?" Riley asked.

"So far? About two hundred," Hannah replied.

Riley groaned. "That's too many for the space we have. Is registration ongoing?"

"Yeah, until two days before the event," Hannah said uncertainly.

"Is there any way we can divide up the class? Maybe I do one class in the morning and another in the afternoon."

Hannah ran a hand through her hair. "I'll look into it. But what if we can't?"

"Then we'll take half of the registered people into one of the auditoriums and Aspen can do the class with that half, and I'll do the class with the other half. Jolie can stay at the FWM table and get names down for registration for the studio, and maybe we can pull a couple of the senior dancers to help each of us. I'm sure they'll do it for free," Riley added.

"All right," Hannah said, writing it down. "What do you have for me?"

"I have a list of things that I want to do," Riley said, reaching into her binder and pulling out the list. "I'm not sure how much we'll have though?"

"If we're going to do what you suggested, I think an hour and a half," Hannah replied.

"Okay, so I think I want to teach a combo and then a short Q&A," Riley said.

"That sounds good," Hannah said. "Now, what do you want to eat?"

Forty-five minutes later, after a brief lunch, the girls were on the way to the venue to meet up with a group of event planners. She texted Aspen and Jolie to meet them there. Riley remembered Hannah as one of the girls she met ten years ago at Tandem's fundraiser. But Hannah never got a chance to dance, because of her family's financial situation. Fortunately, she was able to find her way into the performing arts industry through Youtube, which she'd told Riley about when they first met.

Riley liked to think she was responsible for Hannah's success in the industry, because she'd talked Erica into allowing Hannah to attend Tandem on full scholarship, but of course, she didn't want to brag.

"So, how've you been doing these last few years?" Riley teased. "You're so much older since I last saw you."

Hannah laughed. "I know, we talk all the time on the phone but I haven't seen you since I graduated high school."

"How old are you now, anyways?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow. "20?"

"Close, I'm 19," Hannah said, laughing.

"Someone's following in my footsteps," Riley said. "Every news story I read about you says that you're the next me."

"I hope not, there's no feet in the world big enough to fill those shoes," Hannah teased.

Riley glared at her. "I do not have big feet."

"Don't give me that bull, Riles, you're five-ten." Then Hannah looked down at her own barely five-foot stature. "And I'm not anywhere close to that."

"Oh, Hannah, I'm just lucky I hit my growth spurt after I stopped dancing," Riley said.

"Yeah, I heard about your accident," Hannah said. "I haven't really had time to kind of talk to you about it. Some friend I am."

"Don't be sorry, you're like nine years younger than me," Riley said, laughing. "It was a long time ago, anyways."

"Did it suck?" Hannah asked softly. "I can't imagine what you went through."

"It was pretty tough," Riley admitted. "I was so sure I wasn't going to be able to graduate, because I couldn't dance anymore and do my final exam. But my professors were really understanding of my situation, so they asked me to choreograph for someone else to perform and graded me on that. In terms of my back, I'm totally fine. But mentally..." Riley took a deep breath, a wave of regret washing over her. "It's something I have to live with every day. I mean, I chose to immerse myself in what I love. When that gets taken away from you and you still have to live in that world, it's definitely a challenge."

"But you got through it," Hannah added.

Riley smiled. "Yeah, I did. I owe it all to my therapist back in New York. He stayed with me for four months until he was sure I could live on my own."

"Why didn't you go back home?" Hannah asked.

"I wasn't allowed to fly on a plane, just in case of the risks," Riley explained. For the longest time, she felt defeated. She remembered crying every single day. Lucas and Aspen had been there for her every step of the way. But that wasn't enough for her, she'd wanted Maya to be there with her.

But she never showed up.

"Anyways, I made it through. And while it's a little bittersweet that I can't dance again, I love choreographing and teaching. Seeing others learn from me is so rewarding. I wouldn't trade my life for anything."

That was a lie. _I would trade my life now for my friendship with Maya,_ Riley thought reproachfully.

They arrived at the convention center, and Hannah parked her car before the two journeyed up into the main part of the venue. Riley spotted Jolie and Aspen before they saw her. "Hey!" she said as a way of greeting.

"Hey yourself," Aspen shot back. The spunky blonde was one of Riley's favourite things about California. She had a little sass and attitude, but was one of the kindest people she knew.

 _Kind of like Maya_ , the voice in her head whispered. Riley pushed that out of her head. "So, which girls did you ask to help us do the master class?"

"I talked to Aenea and Julia," Jolie replied, looking the exact same way Riley had seen her an hour ago at FWM. "They agreed to help out."

"Great, but we're going to need more," Riley sighed, continuing on to explain the plan she and Hannah had cooked up at the restaurant a half hour ago.

"That's fine, I know a couple of girls were also interested," Aspen said. "They're all looking to earn volunteer hours."

"Good," Riley said. "So, Hannah, the floor's yours. Tell us what you have planned."

The next couple of hours were spent walking around the venue and collecting information to be used in the planning process. But everywhere Riley stepped, all she could think of was the last time she'd been here. She'd been on top of the dance world.

She sighed as she stepped onto the make-shift stage to test out the floor. She tapped it with her shoe. "I think this is solid enough," she said. "Aspen?"

Aspen hopped onstage and did a couple of pirouettes (in heels, no less) before doing a turning jete to the floor, landing as heavy as possible to test the strength. "I think it's good," she confirmed, standing up.

"I can't understand how you do that," Jolie sighed. "You're in those freakishly tiny heels!"

Aspen laughed. "I grew up in pointe shoes, Jo, my balance is impeccable."

"All right, if the stage is good then we're done here," Hannah said. "Riley, do you need a ride back?"

"No, I'm good," Riley said. "I'm actually meeting someone in a little bit."

When the others had gone, Riley sat down on the stage and took it all in. This was the scene of her greatest victory. And yet, in a mere four days, it would probably turn into a scene of great defeat. She would come face to face with the girl she had never thought would ever leave her life. But she did.

The distance took a huge toll on their relationship. But Riley had always wondered why Maya had never come to visit her. All the Aspens and Jolies of the world couldn't replace her. It was why, when Hannah asked her many weeks ago for artists to invite to the Art Factory, Riley had mentioned Maya's name. She wanted to see her old friend again. She wanted to fix things.

Their relationship wold never be the same again. That much she knew. But they at least had to try. She was going to be the bigger person if that's what it took.

She just wanted Maya back.


	4. Three: Girl Meets the Past

**Hey all! Hope you've been enjoying this so far, I know I am! Here's what's going to happen in this chapter:**

 **\- We're going to learn about Riley's accident, and the who/what/when/where/why/how's of it all**

 **\- And Miss Penelope is going to hop aboard a plane after shipping her gallery across the US a couple of days prior**

 **And then, you'll have to wait for the next chapter. That's when the girls come face to face for the first time in ten years. But...this is a very important chapter too! So please read on!**

 **Chapter outfits:** **www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=184154373**

 **Lauren.**

* * *

Fate. The first thing Riley thought when she was lying in that hospital bed two weeks after her accident. It wasn't an accident. It was fate. It was bound to happen. And it did.

Chance. That was the first thing Dr. Froese told her when he met her in that hospital bed that very same day. It wasn't fate. It was chance. It wasn't fated to happen, there was a chance. And it did.

Riley wasn't sure why she was reliving the worst moments of her life that night, lying awake in her bed. Perhaps it was the prospect of Maya coming to California. Perhaps her arrival, or the anticipation, rather, that was bringing this back to light.

Riley closed her eyes in hopes of ceasing her dwelling of the past. But unfortunately, her past found her in a dream.

* * *

 _Riley's first day of her fourth year at CalArts saw her walking down the street towards campus with Aspen. Both girls were extremely excited for what their last year of school had in store for them. They crossed the street when Aspen screamed. Riley's head snapped towards the direction she was looking at, seeing a black sedan racing towards them and not stopping for the red light. Making a split-second decision, Riley shoved Aspen out of the car's way. But before she had a chance to follow her out of the way, the car smashed into her. Hard._

 _What happened next was a blur. Riley felt herself go flying, Aspen's screams echoing the air as she scrambled off the ground to follow her. "RILEY!"_

 _That was the last thing she heard before she blacked out._

 _Then she was lying in the hospital bed, feeling as though she'd been run over by the car and not just hit by it. She felt the panic rush through her when she discovered she couldn't move her legs. Her mother gasped when she saw her awake, rushing over to her side and smoothing her hair. She'd never seen her father cry until that moment._

 _Lucas, Charlie, and Aspen all visited her at various hours that day, Aspen scolding her for shoving her out of the way before wrapping her in a gentle hug and thanking her for probably saving her life._

 _Riley didn't regret doing what she did until the doctor revealed her diagnosis: temporary leg paralysis. There were three shattered discs in her back that were cutting off circulation to her legs. She would have to undergo surgery to fix them. But she would never be able to dance again._

 _The stories hit the tabloids faster than word spread: 'Dancer Riley Matthews involved in hit-and-run, may never dance again', and 'Riley Matthews sacrifices her career to save another's in hit-and-run'_

 _She underwent surgery two days after received the diagnosis. She was in recovery for almost six months, having to take a gap year and finish her last year of school the following year. The hardest part wasn't knowing she would never dance again, at least not at first. The hardest part was re-learning how to walk. She refused to see any therapist but Dr. Froese, who agreed to move out to Los Angeles for four months to see her._

 _She spent many hours with him crying, wondering what she would do with her life now that she couldn't dance. It was Dr. Froese who recommended she go into choreographing, or opening a studio. She could channel her passion for dance in another way. So she talked to Aspen, who mentioned Jolie was planning to open a studio at the end of the year. When choreographing became an option, she stopped feeling sorry for herself. But every time she thought of her best friend, 3000 miles away, not even bothering to call her once throughout the process, she became angry._

 _She vividly remembered the 'fate or chance' talk with Dr. Froese. "Riley, I will agree that things happen for a reason. But it isn't fate. It wasn't fated to happen. It was chance. Do you know what I mean when I say chance?"_

 _"That it wasn't supposed to happen?" Riley said dully. This was one week post-operation. She was healing at a miraculous rate, according to her surgeon and physical therapist. Unfortunately, the accident had done too much damage to the nerves. Any sudden impact (jumping, rolling, etc.) could disturb the healing nerves and cause permanent paralysis if the nerve endings died._

 _"Not exactly. It's the occurrence and development of events in the absence of any obvious design. Neither you nor Aspen could have seen that car coming until it was too late. Had you not pushed Aspen out of the way, both of you could have been suffering right now. And judging by the position she was standing in, doctors confirmed that being hit by the car at that angle would have killed her. You were lucky because you were standing at a different vantage point."_

 _"Life is trying to throw me on the ground again," Riley sighed._

 _"And what did your mother tell you when you first told her that?" Dr. Froese asked encouragingly._

 _Riley smiled for the first time all session. "She told me to hang on."_

 _"That's right," he confirmed. "Look at you. You're hanging on every day."_

 _"Why didn't Maya call?" she asked abruptly. "Unless she did."_

 _"I would gather she has her own reasons for not doing so," Dr. Froese replied. "Reasons for which I couldn't tell you, because I haven't the faintest idea of what they might be."_

 _"I know she's busy," Riley admitted. "I just...I wish she would've taken the time to call, you know?"_

 _"You'll have to ask her why," Dr. Froese said instead._

 _But she didn't call. When she was discharged from the hospital, and given a clean bill of mental health from her rehabilitation facility, she pushed Maya out of her head and focused on herself. She couldn't dwell on the past if she wanted to move towards the future._

Riley sat upright in bed, cold sweat dripping down her back and breathing rapidly. "Suggesting Maya was a big mistake," she whispered. "I'm dredging up the past."

* * *

"Maya, you're forgetting something," Kaelyn yelled.

"What could I possibly be forgetting?" Maya demanded, her arms crossed as she stood by the door with her two suitcases.

"Me!" she said excitedly, coming out of her room with a suitcase in tow.

"Seriously?" Maya asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you couldn't get out of work."

"Surprise?" Kaelyn giggled.

Maya smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're coming."

Kaelyn shook her head. "Someone's not dressing well."

Maya glanced down at her top and jeans. "What's wrong with this?"

"It's just that it's not very...age-appropriate."

Maya shook her head. "We're going to California, Kae. You look like you're going to Canada."

"It's cold," Kaelyn reminded her.

"It's like 90 degrees in Cali," was all Maya said in response.

Kaelyn pointed to Maya's room. "Go change and put something on that'll make you look a little more professional."

So Maya obeyed and pulled on a sleeveless wool turtleneck and some teal dress pants. "Much better," Kaelyn said approvingly when Maya came out of her room five minutes later.

Josh gave her a kiss. "Good luck, babe."

"Thanks," Maya whispered.

"Say hi to Riley for me," he added.

"I'll try," she sighed.

"You have to." Josh's gaze was serious and she nodded.

"Let's go!" Kaelyn squealed, and they were en route to LaGuardia within ten minutes. Maya double checked their flight time: 10:39am. The girls chatted about what they would do once they arrived in California.

"Well, I have to meet up with Hannah and start setting up my exhibit," Maya replied. "Would you like to come with me?"

"I'd love to, but I'm not sure they'll allow me," Hannah said uncertainly.

"Well I'll say I need you to help me," Maya said. "I did bring along a couple of your designs to be apart of my exhibit."

Kaelyn's eyes grew enormous. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I felt that they added something to my exhibit," Maya said with a grin.

Kaelyn gave her a hug. "Thanks, Maya. That means a lot to me."

"Anytime," Maya replied, hugging her back.

"Do you think Riley will be there?" Kaelyn asked. "I really want to meet her."

"I have no idea, but I'm not really looking forward to seeing her," Maya grumbled.

"Why not?" Kaelyn asked.

"I don't know." Maya looked out the window to see the large building that was LaGuardia Airport coming up ahead. "I just have a really bad feeling about this."

"It'll be okay," Kaelyn said encouragingly.

"I hope so." Maya sighed.

The girls didn't mention Riley again, focusing instead on every last detail of Maya's exhibit, which she'd decided to call '3000 Miles of Fashion & Design', taking different design techniques from California and New York and comparing them. There were a lot of fashion pieces from Kaelyn's projects from RISD, because she'd had to design clothing for Californians and compare and contrast the west coast style to the east coast style. That was originally where she'd gotten her inspiration from for her exhibit.

"Maya it sounds wonderful," Kaelyn sighed. "Just dreamy."

"All right, enough," Maya said, laughing.

"I can't wait to see it," Kaelyn said, smiling at her.

"I'm worried that the delivery truck won't make it," Maya sighed. "If it doesn't, no one will get to see it."

"What about the tracker app?" Kaelyn asked as they passed through security. "Where is the truck now?"

Maya pulled out her phone and opened the app in question. The company that Kaelyn had recommended her use to deliver her exhibit gave her a tracking code so that she could track her exhibit's journey across the US. "Ummmm," Maya paused as the app loaded. "Right now it's passing through Nevada," she announced.

"Great, then it'll get there by the time we land, hopefully," Kaelyn said. "It's supposed to be delivered right to the convention center, right?"

"Yeah, so that I can start unloading things after my meeting with Hannah," Maya replied.

"All right, so it's all working out fine." Kaelyn gave Maya a friendly squeeze. "Let's go find our gate."

* * *

Five and a half exhausting hours later, Maya and Kaelyn stumbled off the plane with their suitcases in tow, hailing a cab that would take them to the hotel and then the convention center. Maya wasn't due to meet Hannah for a couple of hours, so they planned to check in first and then head to the meeting. They arrived, checked in, and collapsed onto their beds thirty minutes later.

"It's not like we even drove," Kaelyn managed to say.

"Jet lag will do that to you," Maya said. "It's only one-thirty right now. It's like six-thirty in New York."

"What time do we have to meet Hannah?" Kaelyn asked.

"At two-thirty," Maya said, pulling up her travel app. "It takes fifteen minutes to walk there."

"We're walking?" Kaelyn moaned.

"I don't know about you, but I can't afford to take another cab," Maya replied. "And it's not like we're walking for an hour."

"I'm so tired," Kaelyn moaned.

"You're the one who wanted to come," Maya scoffed.

Kaelyn said nothing and mashed her face into a pillow.

Maya just laughed. She looked at the app again, and saw that it was just on the outskirts of Los Angeles. _In an hour, maybe._ Then she looked at her phone. There was just one hour before she had to meet Hannah.

Little did she know that there was only one hour until her life would change completely.


	5. Four: Girl Meets Revelation

**Hi everyone! I'm glad you're all enjoying TSOAU! This is the big one! I know a couple of you have been asking me to write Maya and Riley's first interaction (more like begging, but I'll take it as a compliment that you're enjoying the story so much you want more). Originally, I didn't plan for the two girls to meet until at least the fifth chapter, but I combined chapters 3 and 4 into one chapter so that I could speed up that process for you!**

 **Here are the outfits for this chapter: w** **ww dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=184358666**

 **Also...OT4 minus Farkle is in this one! Enter Lucas and Charlie for the first time yay :P We'll catch up with Smarkle later on :)**

 **On with the show!**

* * *

"You look so professional," Jolie said sarcastically when Riley rushed into the convention center, panting.

"Shut up," Riley managed, almost doubled over in pain. "I missed the bus so I had to run here. I didn't have time to change, and then I realized I forgot my change of clothes at the studio."

"Hannah's not gonna be happy," Aspen said, laughing.

"Don't laugh at her," Lucas scolded.

"Thanks," Riley said, "but she's right."

"Riley?" Hannah gasped, walking over. "I thought I said dress professionally!"

"I'm sorry!" Riley groaned, explaining quickly what had happened in the last twenty minutes.

"By the way, Maya's bringing her friend Kaelyn with her," Lucas informed them. "The up-and-coming fashion designer from the Big Apple."

"Kaelyn Riucci?" Aspen gasped. She jumped up and immediately tried to smooth the crinkles out of her button-down shirt. "Crap, I'm not dressed properly!"

"Aspen, you look fine," Lucas sighed, pulling her back down. He kissed her cheek. "You always do."

"Ugh, get a room you two," Jolie groaned, making a face.

"Oh, you can't talk, you and Charlie were getting it on in the janitor's closet ten minutes ago," Hannah remarked, and Jolie's pale skin turned bright red as Riley and Aspen started to hoot.

"Where is Charlie, anyways?" Riley asked after her giggles had subsided.

"Bathroom," Jolie said with a scowl. "Someone," she looked pointedly at Hannah, "interrupted us before we were done."

"GROSS," Hannah snapped.

"Wait, I didn't know Maya knew Kaelyn Riucci," Aspen said, looking at Riley. "You never said anything."

"I didn't know either," Riley said, shrugging. "They probably met at RISD. They both went to school there."

"Did you know she was engaged?" Lucas asked her.

"Yeah, my dad called to let me know. It was certainly nice of her to let me know though," Riley said sarcastically.

"I can't believe she didn't tell you, she told me," Lucas said.

"Yeah, but she'll tell you anything, Huckleberry," Riley teased. "She might be with Uncle Boing but she's always held you in the highest regard. It's kind of why she tried so hard to bring you down."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

"You're not going to leave me for her, are you?" Aspen teased. "I've heard _all_ the stories. Including the campfire one."

"Riley, I thought you were my friend!" Lucas said indignantly. "That was not my finest moment."

"Like when you chickened out from kissing her?" Jolie giggled.

"What about when Riley dumped Charlie at midnight, huh?" Lucas fired back.

The smile slid off of Riley's face and she glared at him. "Not cool, Friar."

"Oh, so now I'm Friar," Lucas said, smirking.

"Why are we calling Friar Friar?" Charlie asked, walking over to sit next to his wife.

"Did you get off in the bathroom all right?" Riley asked, smirking as she hopefully tried to pull the topic of conversation away from her. Everyone started to laugh, including Hannah, as Charlie went bright red and tried to justify his bathroom break as a legitimate bathroom break and not needing to finish what Jolie had started.

"You're not getting off that easily, Riles," Aspen interrupted. "You dumped Charlie at midnight?"

"Yeah, right before the fireworks," Charlie reminisced. "All's well that end's well though. I moved to Wisconsin, and then I re-met Riley in New York, and then in California, and then she introduced me to the greatest girl in the world," he added, beaming at Jolie.

She shoved him. "Stop being corny, Gardner."

All of a sudden, Hannah inhaled sharply. "They're here, guys." She walked across the hall, her heels clicking on the tile. "Hi, I'm Hannah! You must be Maya," she said, extending her hand to the blonde.

Riley's heart probably stopped beating. "I might pass out," she whispered.

"Don't, please," Lucas sighed. "You'll be all right."

"I look like I just came from the gym," Riley groaned. "Aspen, you have nothing to worry about. Kaelyn's probably going to think I'm some overachieving athlete."

"Just say you came from the studio," Jolie reminded her. "Because you did."

Riley couldn't take her eyes off of her former best friend. She looked the same. And yet, very different. Behind her, Jolie whispered very loudly, "Do you think Kaelyn dresses her every day?" She had to admit that both of them had impeccable style. She liked to think that she did as well, but the outfit she was wearing didn't exactly show it.

"Don't say that," Aspen grumbled to Jolie. "I'm sure Maya dresses herself."

"She probably does, and then Kaelyn probably tells her to go change," Jolie giggled.

"Don't be mean," Riley sighed, turning around to glare at her friends.

"Guys, this is Maya and her friend Kaelyn," Hannah said, walking over with the two girls in tow. "You probably know them."

"You're Kaelyn Riucci right?" Aspen asked. "I _absolutely adore_ your fashion line. I went to see you for New York Fashion Week."

"Yeah, I am," Kaelyn said with a smile. "I wasn't sure anyone would know who I was. Thank you so much."

Silence settled on the group as they turned to look at Riley and Maya.

"Hi," Riley said finally.

"Hey," Maya said faintly in response.

Riley shook her head and turned to Kaelyn. "Hi, I'm Riley. I'm not sure how much Maya's told you about me?"

"I've heard some things, but not a ton. It's nice to meet you, finally," Kaelyn replied, smiling.

Riley smiled back. "I would've made a little bit more of an effort to look nice had I known a fashion designer was coming, but I was coming from the studio and there wasn't enough time."

Kaelyn laughed. "Hey, it's cool. The only person's appearance I can critique is Maya's."

Another awkward silence settled. Maya looked past Riley at Lucas. "Long time no see, Huckleberry."

"Short stack," Lucas said, tipping an imaginary cowboy hat at her. Just like old times.

Maya smiled and looked at Charlie. "Good to see you too, Charlie."

"You too," Charlie admitted.

Maya looked at Riley. "Figures we'd meet here again."

"Yeah," Riley said, smiling sadly. "It's been a while."

"Sure has." Maya smiled back, but there was something lingering.

"I heard you got engaged," Riley said. "From my dad."

"Yeah, Josh told him."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Riley asked.

Maya shrugged. "We grew apart."

"Okay, what about my accident?" She hadn't meant to bring it up so soon, the words just slipped out.

"What accident?" Maya asked, raising an eyebrow.

Riley's eyes opened wide. "What do you mean, what accident?" she whispered. "It was six years ago. Did you not know?" If Maya hadn't known about her accident, it make sense that she never called.

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," Maya insisted, and with a long gaze into Maya's eyes, Riley knew she was telling the truth.

"Didn't Josh tell you? He came to visit me in the hospital," Riley said, confused. "Shawn did too."

"Um," Lucas coughed, "Riles, I have a confession to make."

"What?" she demanded, turning to him.

"Josh and I agreed not to tell Maya about your accident, and we convinced Shawn to keep it from her," Lucas rushed out.

"WHAT?" Both Riley and Maya yelled.

"Why?" Aspen demanded. "Maya was her best friend, she deserved to know!"

Hannah coughed uncomfortably, but no one listened to her. "Why didn't you tell her?" Riley asked quietly. "Do you know how much it destroyed me when she never called and I thought she hated me?"

"If something had happened to you, Riley, I would have come out right away," Maya insisted.

Riley turned back to her. "I'm sorry I thought you knew about it and just didn't bother to come visit me."

"It's not your fault." Maya's eyes narrowed. "Looks like I have to yell at Uncle Boing again."

"And I'm going to kill your boyfriend," Riley told Aspen.

"Not if I don't kill him first," Aspen said, glaring at Lucas. "You're an idiot, how could you possibly think that it would be good for anyone?"

"It's a long story," Lucas said lamely. "I can't explain without Josh."

"What happened?" Maya asked Riley.

Riley opened her mouth to reply when Hannah clapped her hands. "Okay. I hate to break up this reunion, but the convention center closes in an hour and we don't have much time. Maya, Kaelyn, why don't you come with me and I'll show you the area you'll be using, and then you can start bringing in your artwork so you can set it up tomorrow. Then you'll have as much time as you want to catch up."

"All right," Maya said despondently.

"I'll be here when you're done," Riley promised her.

Maya gave her a half-hearted smile as she and Kaelyn followed Hannah away. Riley looked back at her ex-boyfriend. "You have _one minute_ to start talking, Friar," she growled.

"I can't explain without Josh," Lucas insisted.

"Then you'd better call him and tell him to get his ass over to Skype in an hour when Maya's done, or I will hurt the both of you," Riley snapped.

Lucas's eyes grew wide as he stood up and rushed away to call Riley's uncle. Riley, exhausted now, sat down in his spot. Aspen put her arm around her. "It'll be okay, Riley."

"I hope so," Riley said. "I really do."

* * *

"So..." Maya said hours later. She was at the apartment that Riley and Aspen shared. "This is where you live now."

"It is," Riley confirmed.

"Well, we have fifteen minutes until Josh calls," Maya said, glancing at the clock. "Why don't you tell me about the accident?"

Riley swallowed. "All right." She launched into the tale she'd relived just the previous night.

Maya couldn't even believe what she was hearing. Riley couldn't dance ever again? She felt awful that she hadn't been at Riley's side to help her get through it. She realized how Riley must have felt with her absence, how it must have destroyed her. She felt like an awful friend.

When Riley finished, Maya swallowed. "Riles, I'm so sorry that I didn't call."

"Don't be sorry, you didn't know," Riley told her.

"Not just regarding the accident." Maya took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I didn't call at all. I should have. It was wrong of me to cut you out of my life just like that."

"Yeah, well, Dr. Froese told me to call you after my surgery, but I never did. I just thought you'd known and you had your own reasons for staying in Rhode Island. I should have called too." Riley gave a half-hearted smile at her old friend.

"So we're still friends?" Maya asked hopefully.

Riley beamed. "Of course." The two girls hugged. "Now," Riley said, grabbing Maya's left hand. "Spill. Details. NOW."

Maya burst out laughing. "You're still the same Riley, all right."

"Things obviously went really well," Riley observed, staring at the ring. "Maya, this is gorgeous."

"I know," Maya said, giggling. "He asked me on the night of our ten-year anniversary."

"Well, Josh is ever the romantic if there was one," Riley said, still staring at the rock on Maya's finger. "He couldn't get cornier than giving you a ring shaped like a heart."

"I thought it was sweet," Maya said, offended.

"Peaches, I'm just joshing." Riley wiggled her eyebrows at the pun she made while Maya rolled her eyes. "Sorry, I couldn't help it," Riley added afterwards.

"You're awful," Maya groaned.

Aspen came in from her bedroom, evidently having just taken a shower. Her hair was wrapped in a towel. She sat down on the couch next to Riley. "It's really cool to finally meet you, Maya."

"Thanks. I'm glad Riley's found awesome friends out here," Maya said as sincerely as possible. She didn't want to come across as a bitch.

"Are you excited about the Art Factory?" Aspen asked her.

"Yeah, I am. It's really huge for my lacklustre career," Maya admitted.

"What are you doing right now?" Aspen asked.

"I'm finishing up my last year at NYU, I'm doing my masters in architecture," Maya said.

"That's amazing," Aspen said, her eyes wide. "Are you missing school right now?"

"Yeah, but it's mostly in-class work time to finish up our culminating projects," Maya said. "I'm not really missing any instruction. Most of the fourth year is independent study, anyhow."

"That still sounds amazing," Aspen said, who was extremely curious to learn about architecture and Maya. After about a lengthy two-hour conversation, Maya felt a little more at ease, although she noticed Riley hadn't even said anything since Aspen had come out of the room.

"Riles, you okay?" Aspen asked her, evidently noticing the change in Riley's demeanor.

"Yeah," Riley said, shrugging. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Maya asked.

Riley stood up. "I'm just tired," she said, and without saying goodnight, stomped off to her bedroom.

Aspen gave Maya an apologetic smile. "I don't know what's up with her. Sorry."

"Don't apologize," Maya said, although her gaze never left the closed door of Riley's room. "It's not your fault."

Aspen gave Maya a weird look. "You sure?"

* * *

The next morning, Kaelyn and Maya arrived at the convention center to begin unpacking Maya's artwork and setting up. Hannah was there too, but she was overseeing the entire convention center, so she wasn't always around.

While they set up, Maya talked to Kaelyn about her talk with Riley the night before, and how weirdly it had ended.

"I don't know what to say, honestly," Maya sighed as she took out a panting of the Manhattan skyline and put it next to a picture she'd taken of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. "It was almost as if she didn't like the fact that Apsen and I were chatting. And then Aspen asked me if I was sure Riley's reaction had nothing to do with her. It's just all really confusing."

"It's bound to take some adjusting," Kaelyn reminded her. "You did just make up yesterday. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours yet. Give it some time. Riley's probably still adjusting to you being in her life again, just like you would have to do the same thing if she showed up back in New York."

"I guess," Maya said.

"Hey!" Aspen said, coming into the exhibit. Her eyes flew across the works of art that were already up. "Maya, you seriously downplayed your talent. These are perfection, and the concept is perfect."

"Thanks," Maya said, blushing. "What are you doing here?"

"Riley, Jolie, Lucas, Charlie, and I are setting up for our portion of the AF," Aspen explained. "I thought I'd pop by and say hi."

"What are you guys doing?" Kaelyn asked.

"Well, Jolie runs a dance studio called the Far West Movement, so Riley and I are teaching a masterclass while Jolie and one of the senior dancers helps out with registration and information," Aspen said. "We're getting a couple of senior girls to help us demonstrate as well, since our bones aren't as young as they used to be. Plus, Riley can't even demonstrate a plie anymore, so we figured we'd need demonstration dummies."

Kaelyn laughed.

"Okay, first off, I'm surprised Hannah didn't offer you a spot here," Aspen told her. "Your work is literally to die for."

Kaelyn shrugged. "She doesn't really know who I am."

"Yeah, but you should definitely be here next year. I'll talk to her for y-" Aspen stopped mid-sentence and stared at four mannequins wearing different outfits. "Kaelyn, did you make these?" she gasped, rushing over to feel the material.

"Yeah?" Kaelyn said, blushing. "They're back from my days at RISD. It was my culminating project in second or third year. I can't remember, honestly."

"They're perfect," Aspen announced. "It really fits Maya's theme too!"

"That's why they're here," Maya said with a grin.

"Aspen, where have you been?" a girl asked, coming into the area. "We need your help with something."

"I'll be there in just a second, Shannon," Aspen replied. "Maya, Kaelyn, this is Shannon. She's kind of like the Hannah Merkle 2.0 and Riley 3.0."

"I'm not," Shannon groaned. "I'm not that good."

"I'm sure you're amazing," Maya said to her. "Aspen knows what she's talking about. She is your teacher, after all."

"Yeah, but Riley and Hannah are such amazing dancers with such huge legacies. There's no way I'm even in the same _stratosphere_ ," Shannon said, shrugging. "I'll tell Jolie that you're coming."

"Thanks Shannon," Aspen called after her. She gave Maya and Kaelyn an apologetic smile. "She's a little insecure. A couple of wins at Nationals would really boost her confidence. She's a generational talent, she just hasn't gotten any luck. Her first year in the senior division, she was competing against Hannah herself. It wasn't going to end well for her. Ever since, her confidence has spiraled."

"She'll find her way in the end," Kaelyn said. "How old is she?"

"She's seventeen," Aspen replied. "She'll have to start applying to colleges soon. It's hard for her because she doesn't really have the support she needs to build her confidence in the first place. Her dad died when he was on his way to a dance competition and was killed in a car wreck. Her mom works four jobs and she'll need a scholarship to go to college. If she doesn't have confidence, it'll be ten times harder for her to get that scholarship."

"Yeah," Maya said. "Happens to the best of us."

"I know it kills Riley, because she sees a lot of herself in Shannon. That's what I thought at first, anyways. But I think she reminds Riley of you, Maya. And after we talked last night about your childhood, I think she's right."

"Well," Maya said with a sigh. "I still have my dad."

"She hides her emotions well," Aspen said, studying Maya carefully. "Something Riley says that you used to do as well."

Maya threw her hands up. "Wow, she's like a carbon-copy of me," she said, laughing. "With Riley's dance ability."

"It's better," Aspen said quietly. "Even Riley says it. Watching Shannon dance is indescribable. She's _that_ good."

"I'd love to see her," Kaelyn said.

"We're trying to get her to dance at the AF, so if she agrees to do it I'll let you guys know. Anyways, I should go, good luck with the rest of it!" Aspen dashed back to her exhibit.

Maya turned back to her exhibit. The Art Factory opened in two days, and they were only a quarter of a way through set up. "We've got a lot more work to do," she sighed.

Kaelyn picked up another box and set it on the table. "I guess it's a good thing we've got a few more hours then."

 **(A/N: I know I didn't touch upon why Josh and Lucas kept Riley's accident from Maya. Next chapter will explain everything. - Lauren)**


	6. Five: Girl Meets The Not-So-Good Times

**AF Outfits:** **www dot polyvore dot com slash art_factory_outfits slash set?id=184465427**

 **La Belle Epoque Outfits: www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=184946067**

"Hello everyone, welcome to this year's Art Factory! I'm your host for today's festivities, Hannah Merkle. All of us here at the Factory hope you enjoy the event! There are art exhibits, dance classes, and more! If you have registered for a dance class, please head over to the Left Wing. If you are here to enjoy anything else, please head towards the Center and Right Wings! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to visit one of our booths!"

Maya jumped around in her heels nervously. "This is so nerve-wracking," she whispered to Kaelyn, who was making a minor adjustment to the placement of a snowflake decoration, which was next to a jar full of sand. "I hope people don't think you're the artist."

Kaelyn rolled her eyes. "That's rude. But I do look more the part of the artist in question, don't you think? You look more like the assistant."

Maya threw her hands up. "You should have let me wear what you're wearing then!"

Kaelyn smoothed the orange part of her hem. "But I made this in my size last night!"

"You couldn't have made something for me?" Maya asked through gritted teeth, glancing down at her black and white dress. It was professional, but formal. Not exactly a dress one would picture an artist wearing.

"There wasn't much time," Kaelyn said apologetically. "Oh look," she said, changing the subject. "Here they all come!"

Maya's exhibit was filled with people within the next hour. She lost count of the number of business cards she was handed, and Kaelyn received many accolades for her designs, as well as several compliments on her dress. Maya rolled her eyes. Kaelyn never missed an opportunity to promote herself.

But she was glad Kaelyn had the opportunity to promote herself out in California. Any exposure was good exposure, especially for one trying to start out in a design industry.

"That was exhausting," Maya whispered to Kaelyn after being interrogated by some graphic designer.

Kaelyn giggled. "Thankfully, things are starting to die down. There are only about fifteen people now, compared to the hundred we had a half hour ago."

"Yeah," Maya said with relief. She turned to adjust a painting, which had been tilted on the wall in someone's haste to get to another art piece, probably. Someone's hands clapped over her eyes.

"Guess who?" Josh asked her, grinning as Kaelyn had a hand over her mouth, trying not to squeal.

Maya shoved him off of her and spun around. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded. "I thought you couldn't get out of work."

"I wanted to surprise you," Josh admitted. "Are you surprised?"

Maya glared at him. "You just wanted to come and see Riley."

Josh shrugged. "Maybe that was part of it. But Maya...your exhibit looks stunning." He smiled at her. "It's very...you."

"In what way?" Maya asked.

"Why did you decide to do your exhibit like this?" Josh asked quietly, changing the subject.

"I don't know, it just seemed like a cool way to bring some of New York to LA," Maya said. "Why?"

"I think subconsciously, you wanted to do it because it resembles your relationship with Riley now. You represent New York. She's LA. Both cities are different. Very different. Just like the two of you. Just like your relationship now."

Kaelyn's eyes went wide. "Josh, that's really insightful."

Maya stared at her fiance thoughtfully. "You really do know me better than I know myself. I hadn't even thought that was the reason. But now that you've said it, I think you're right." She gazed wistfully at the painting of two pairs of shoes she'd drawn. A pair of strappy sandal heels, next to a pair of dark velvet ankle boots. Maya wore that pair of ankle boots almost every single day.

What she hadn't realized until now was that the sandal heels had been a staple in Riley's wardrobe since freshman year. "She's always been sunny and bright, just like LA," Maya said aloud.

"Your exhibit is brilliant to someone who doesn't know your history with Riley, Maya," Kaelyn realized. "But it's even more awe-inspiring for those who do."

* * *

"Hello everyone!" Riley called. "I'm Riley Matthews!"

There were so many people in the ballroom.

"And this is my assistant today, please give a warm welcome to Shannon Ramirez!"

Did the amount of people in the room double?

Riley shook her head. "I hope you all came ready to dance!"

The cheers were deafening. It brought her back to Nationals, and she smiled. "So here's what's going to happen! Shannon and I are going to teach a combo to you, and she's going to demonstrate to you. If you look down at the number each of you is wearing, at the end of the class before you leave, we're going to be calling out a few numbers that have stood out to us today. If we call your number, you're going to stay back for just a few minutes, and you'll find out why if and when you get there. Does anyone have any questions?"

"No?" Riley asked after a moment's pause. "Great, let's get started! Parents and guardians, if you could head off to the sides of the rooms so that your kids have a little more space to move around. We're going to teach the combination as a collective group and then what's going to happen is we're going to divide you up by age. That way, the younger kids will have more time to learn the choreography. Please find your own little space and try not to kick anyone!"

Shannon took her place on the stage and Riley began counting out steps. "One, two, step back and in place. Fan kick three, four, illusion five six, step seven, push off in the opposite direction for eight. Let's take that from the top."

After a ten minute instruction period, Riley asked the kids aged 5-7 to stand in one corner, ages 8-11 in another corner, 12-15 in the third corner, and 16+ in the last corner. There were a lot more 8 to 11 year olds than any other age group, so she moved the 11s to the third group and made the final group 15+. The groups now looked a little more balanced.

"All right, seniors! That's my 15+ group, you're on the floor first. Are you ready?" she asked, picking up a clipboard to write down numbers of dancers that impressed her. The music started and Shannon did the combination with the group the first time, and then without them a second time. Riley spotted at least four dancers that impressed her, writing down each number. There weren't many mini dancers that impressed her, but in the other two groups she had written at least sixteen numbers.

"That's it for this class, I want everyone to give themselves a round of applause. You were all great today," Riley said, after adding a few more numbers to her clipboard following the flexibility, jumping, and turning challenges. "Would the following dancers please remain in the center of the room please?"

After more minutes, Riley led the 32 dancers into the other ballroom where Aspen's masterclass had been taking place. "Please just line up in the middle of the floor," Aryana instructed. She'd been helping Aspen with her masterclass. "Riley, how many did you bring?"

"32," Riley replied.

"And I brought in 29," Aspen said. "All right, Ary, do the honors."

"Okay," Aryana said excitedly. "So, of the five hundred dancers that we saw today, the 61 of you are the ones that obviously stood out to Aspen and Riley. So, I think you all deserve a round of applause."

"What we'd like to know now, I guess," Shannon continued after the applause, "is if any of you are interested in coming to dance for Far West Movement."

"We're not asking for a full-time commitment, we don't want you to switch studios or anything," Riley added hastily. "But there are some dancers that dance at different studios for periods of time to get different training. If you're interested in becoming a part-time student at FWM, please let us know. And if you are interested, you can go to the registration booth outside the ballroom to where Jolie is. Tell her that you were invited to be a part time student and would like to register, and you'll go from there. If you have no interest in dancing at FWM, that's perfectly fine. We thank for your time and we'll see you hopefully in the future."

Riley turned to the girls as the dancers began to file out the door. "I think that was super successful, don't you?"

"I think so," Aspen said, smiling. "I guess we have to do some recon with Jolie in a bit."

"We're still going out for dinner later, right?" Riley asked. When Aspen nodded, she turned to Shannon and Aryana. "Do you two want to come with us?"

"I can't," Shannon said apologetically. "School calls."

"Same here," Aryana said. "Next time."

"All right," Riley said, smiling. "Thank you girls so much for helping us out! Do you need us to sign any forms for school?"

* * *

Three hours later, the Art Factory closed its doors to the public and Hannah popped open a few bottles of a champagne to share with all the event runners. "Congratulations you guys, this year's AF was a complete success!"

They all cheered. Riley tipped back her champagne flute and swallowed. She noticed Josh and Maya across from her. When Hannah was finished with her speech, Riley stood up to greet her uncle. "Hey, Uncle Josh."

"Hey, Riley," Josh said, smiling at her.

She shoved him. "Didn't bother to call to ask my permission for you to marry Maya?"

"I can't tell if you're being serious or not," Josh said, his eyes wide.

Riley rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm not being serious. I'm super happy for you guys, even though it's a little weird that Maya's going to be my aunt."

Maya laughed. "Remember back in seventh grade when you were horrified about that happening? Well, it's happening right now."

Riley shuddered. "We were so young and innocent back then."

A pause.

Riley gathered up her nerves. "The girls and I are going to grab dinner now, did you guys want to come? Lucas and Charlie are coming," she added to Josh. "And Hannah."

"Yeah, sure, it sounds like fun," Josh said. "Maya, did you want to go?"

Maya shrugged. "Can Kaelyn come?"

"Oh, of course," Riley said, smiling. "I think Aspen would be offended if I didn't invite her along."

"Sure, then I'll come," Maya said, smiling back. "What time do we meet you?"

* * *

A little while later, the gang gathered in Little Italy at Riley's new vintage find, La Belle Epoque. It was an Italian restaurant, but served its owners were from France. It basically meant 'The Good Times'. When Riley had asked them all those years ago why they hadn't just named the restaurant that in Italian, the answer had been because it was extremely long and not at all appealing to customers.

"Riley, ciao bella!" The owner Giovanni said, hugging her.

"Hi, Gio," Riley said, hugging him back. "A table for 9?"

A couple of minutes later, after pushing a few tables together, they settled into their seats and began to look at the menu. The girls were chattering excitedly about how much fun the Art Factory had been, and the guys were catching up with each other.

"You guys have to come back for next year's AF," Hannah told Maya and Kaelyn. "Kaelyn, you can do your own exhibit if you like."

"That would be amazing," Kaelyn said, beaming.

Maya sat there with a smile on her face, although she didn't say anything. She just nodded.

"Aspen," Kaelyn said, studying her dress. "Is that one of mine?"

"Yeah, I got it online after a three-person bidding war," Aspen said sheepishly.

"How much did you pay for it, exactly?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"More than I'd like to admit. I know I overpayed. I'm just glad I got it, because I really love it."

"How much?" Kaelyn asked.

"Five hundred," Aspen sighed.

Riley's eyes bugged out. "How?"

"Well, I had some emergency money, and now I don't have anymore," Aspen said, shrugging. "It's worth it."

"You may not think so in a few years," Riley sighed.

"Aspen, my outfits are not worth that amount of money," Kaelyn groaned.

"They are here," Riley admitted. "Actually, what Aspen paid is on the lower end of how much your designs are worth."

"Seriously?" Kaelyn asked. "That's it, I'm moving to California."

"Wow, ditcher, much?" Maya asked, rolling her eyes.

"You have six more months at NYU, Maya. Then you can move out here," Kaelyn suggested.

"I can't, as much as I'd love to. I need to stay in New York."

"Why?" Jolie asked.

"I just have to." Maya stared off into space.

Riley frowned but said nothing. Was it because she lived here?

"Riley?" A voice said from behind her. Riley watched Aspen's eyes bug out, and even Jolie went still for a moment. She turned around, and her breath hitched.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a small voice.

"I was just out with my friends, like you, apparently," he said, glancing at the table. "It's been a while."

"Yeah, I guess it has," Riley said.

"You never called."

"I have a tendency to do that," she replied, crossing her arms. "So, you just came over here to say hi?"

"Riley, is that," Lucas began, but stopped when she glared at him.

"Who is he?" Josh demanded.

"Riles, who is this?" Maya breathed.

Riley stood up. They were now almost face to face. "I think you should go," she said flatly.

"Back to my table or out of the restaurant?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I hope you remember that the owners love me just as much as they love you."

Riley crossed her arms. "Back off, now."

"Fine." He took a step back. "I'll see you around, Riley."

Riley sat back down. Her Californian friends all looked at her with sympathy. But her New York ones...confusion was written across each of their faces. "Riley, who was that?" Josh asked again. "I'm asking as your uncle now."

"It doesn't matter," Riley muttered, although she knew that the evening is ruined. "Forget about it, all right?"

"This isn't over," Josh warned her.

Riley ignored him and returned her attention to her menu, just as Giovanni returned. "Are you ready to order?"

"Yes, we are," Riley said. "Hannah, why don't you go first?"

* * *

 **OOOOH WHO'S MYSTERY GUY**

 **ANY GUESSES**

 **LEAVE A REVIEW**

 **I'm leaving for vacation this week for the holidays so I won't be updating in the next little bit. If I can, I will but I won't promise anything. I wanted to get this up before I left. Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Lauren.**


	7. Six: Girl Meets Secrets

**Hey guys! Sorry I've been so MIA lately. I've been focused on school and applying to university. I feel so lucky to have you guys still (hopefully!) keeping up! I have some good news...**

 **First, I got early acceptance to two schools, both for journalism, which is mind-blowing because one was my dream school since I was nine.**

 **Second, I'm going to start paying a little more attention to this story because I think it needs some more of my love.**

 **Third, I'm going to stop rambling on so that you guys can keep reading.**

 **Lauren.**

* * *

Julian von Englehardt. The bane of Riley's very existence.

This couldn't be happening.

"Riley," Aspen said softly at home. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"He knows that's our regular hang," Riley said, and she was seething now. "I can't believe he had the nerve to show up there."

"Did he know we were going to be there?" Aspen asked.

Riley hesitated. "I did post on Facebook."

"You can't prove that he went there to see you," Aspen reminded her.

"I'm almost a hundred percent sure, Aspen." Riley shook her head. "He's a fucking creep."

"He's..." Aspen tried to say otherwise. "No, you're right. He is."

"He just pops up everywhere," Riley growled. "He's like Charlie Gardner 2.0."

Aspen laughed.

"It's not funny!" Riley threw her hands up in the air. "What do I have to do to get him to stay away from me?"

"File a restraining order?" Aspen suggested.

"I can't, because he actually hasn't done anything," Riley groaned. "He just happens to appear wherever I go. Did you see him at the AF today? I thought I did, but I wasn't sure. Now I know it was him."

"You can still file a restraining order," Aspen sighed.

"I just wish I'd never met him," Riley sighed.

 _[flashback]_

 _"Hey, what's your name, pretty lady?"_

 _Riley was sitting on a barstool at one of California's night clubs. She held a drink in her hand, but it was full. She raised an eyebrow. "You talking to me?" she asked, taking a sip._

 _He grinned. "I'm Julian."_

 _"Riley," she returned._

 _"Haven't seen you here before," he observed._

 _"And you would know this because?" Riley asked._

 _"I'm here every night. I run this place."_

 _"Well, you've got a keen eye. My friends dragged me here," she replied. "But shouldn't you be putting your time to better use?"_

 _"What could be more useful than talking to a pretty girl?" Julian asked, smirking._

 _"Making sure a bar fight doesn't break out?" Riley asked, shrugging. She had no interest in him. He wasn't ugly, but she'd just ended things with Lucas and wasn't looking for a relationship._

 _"I'm sure my staff can handle things on their own."_

 _"Well, it was nice to meet you, Julian, but I should go find my friends." Riley stood up but he grabbed her hand. "What?" she asked, irritated._

 _"Can I see you again?" he asked hopefully._

 _She shrugged. "We'll see."_

 _[/flashback]_

Riley shook herself out of the memory. Julian had pursued her after their encounter, and they'd dated for two and a half years before she'd called it quits. Their relationship had been furiously fast-paced and she had been terrified. She'd never fallen so hard, so fast, for anyone in her entire life. Not even Lucas.

Aspen snapped her fingers in front of Riley. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Riley sighed.

"Look, you just need to forget tonight happened," Aspen decided. "Go to sleep, Riley."

"All right," Riley sighed.

She tossed and turned all night long, and didn't look too good when she rolled out of bed the next morning. She gathered she'd only gotten about an hour's worth of actual sleep last night.

"You look like death warmed over," Jolie said, raising an eyebrow when Riley practically crawled into the kitchen. She usually came over most mornings to chat about the studio.

"Good morning to you too," Riley grumbled. "I didn't sleep."

"I don't blame you," Jolie said. "Julian von Englehardt is the creepiest person to exist."

"Besides your husband," Riley muttered.

"Wow, thanks," Jolie said, rolling her eyes.

"Riley, you should take today off to sleep," Aspen cautioned. "You really do look like shit."

"I appreciate it, Aspen, but I promised Shannon we'd do her private today."

"Her private? The six hour one?" Jolie demanded. "Riley, you're going to pass out mid-private. Probably before you get halfway, even. You need to stay here and sleep! Aspen can work on Shannon's solo."

"Um, I can't," Aspen said apologetically, "I have four classes to teach today."

"We'll figure something out then," Jolie said. "Riley, I forbid you to work today."

"That's so unfair," Riley whined. "I need to do something to take my mind off of Julian the Jerk."

Jolie and Aspen exchanged glances. "Fine," Jolie conceded. "But if you start to feel woozy, we are pulling the plug on this. Now, go get some water on your face, because you need to wake up."

* * *

"Good job on that last tour jete, Shannon," Riley observed. "But I want you to try and arch your back even more to really get the position that the judges are looking for. Can you try that again?" She was currently sitting on a speaker because her legs were no longer working.

"Riley, are you all right?" Shannon asked.

"Just a little tired and stressed is all," Riley said, waving her hand. "Come on, let's see that tour jete again."

Shannon hesitated. "Riley, can I ask you something? It's kind of...personal."

Riley sat up straight. "Yeah, of course Shannon. What's on your mind?"

"Well, my parents don't want me to dance anymore because they feel that it's interfering with my future," Shannon admitted, and Riley was immediately brought back to when her mother didn't support her decision to continue to dance. "But I love to do it. They're just...very conservative, you know?"

"I know," Riley said, nodding. "I completely understand."

"Dance is my whole life. I just feel like if I stopped doing it, I'd lose a part of myself." Shannon stared into the mirror. "I wouldn't even know who I would be."

"Look, Shannon, when I was your age, my mom didn't support me pursuing dance as university degree. She thought it was impractical and wouldn't prove to be useful in the future. My senior year was...extremely difficult. My decision to pursue dance almost tore my parents' marriage apart. But she came around in the end because she realized that the most important thing was for me to be happy." Riley smiled. "And look where I am today."

"So what should I do?" Shannon asked.

"You need to tell your parents this is important to you. But at the same time, you have to take their side into account. They just don't want to see you be unsuccessful. They can't see dance as a stable career, is all. Convince them otherwise. If you want me to talk them, I'd be happy to. But I think they need to hear it from you first. And who knows? You're only heading into senior year this fall. You still have plenty of time to continue to look at all options. Tell them you'll consider a practical career if they'll let you continue dancing. Make a deal with them that you can keep dancing as long as your grades don't slip. There are lots of things you can do, Shan. You've just got to go to them."

Shannon smiled. "Thanks, Riley."

"No problem," Riley replied. "I just wish that someone had told me that ten years ago."

"How did you get through it?" Shannon asked curiously.

Riley smiled sadly. "That's a tale for another day, unfortunately. Otherwise we'll waste the last two hours. Can we get back to work now?"

* * *

Maya sat at Los Angeles International Airport staring out of the window. Her visit to California had never seemed so short. Kaelyn and Josh were off getting food while she watched all their bags. So she had some time to think now that she was alone.

Josh still hadn't told her why they hadn't let her know Riley had been in an accident. And it was bothering her to no end. Riley refused to tell anyone about the person she'd run into at the restaurant the previous night. Kaelyn was thinking about moving out to California to get more designing opportunities.

Maya felt like her world was falling apart. She and Josh hadn't spoken about their actual wedding since their engagement. She twisted the ring on her finger. She sighed. Riley had her life figured out here. She wasn't going to come back to New York.

But Maya didn't have that. She didn't have the security of her own job waiting for her at the end of her degree. She hadn't even gotten much recognition at the Art Factory. What she was still slightly upset about was the fact that Kaelyn had struck gold out here, and she hadn't even showcased her work. Maya was getting outshined by every single one of her friends in all aspects of life.

She'd been hoping for too long, always ending up disappointed. She should've known better. Her middle school self would never have hoped for this long.

It was time to end the charade. She was going back to her roots once they got back to the east coast. It was time to see an old friend.

"Maya, are you all right?" Kaelyn asked as she and Josh sat back down. Josh passed her a muffin and coffee.

"I'm fine," Maya said, taking the food from Josh.

"You just look like you're...drifting." Kaelyn couldn't find a better word to describe the look on her friend's face.

Maya smiled. "I guess you could say I am."

"Creative inspiration?" Josh asked.

"More like an epiphany."

"Care to tell?" Kaelyn asked, interested.

Maya shrugged. "Not really."

Kaelyn raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She and Josh exchanged confused and worried glances. Maya hadn't been acting the same since the Art Factory, and both knew that it wasn't her reunion with Riley that was causing it. They left Maya alone after that, not wanting to bother her further.

Maya couldn't wait to come home.

* * *

"Maya! To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?"

"Nice to see you too, Mr. Matthews," Maya said with a half-smile. "My mother said Shawn was here."

"He is," Cory said, opening the door wider and allowing the still petite blonde to step through. "Shawnie! You have a visitor."

Shawn Hunter looked up from where he was sitting on the couch and stood up. "Maya," he said, beaming. "Long time no see, kiddo."

"Yeah," Maya said, rushing past her former teacher to hug her unofficial step-dad.

"What brings you here, Maya?" Cory asked once the hugs were exchanged.

"I was wondering if you knew where Farkle was," Maya said quietly.

"Why are you asking me?" Shawn asked. "I don't keep track of Minkus much."

"Yes, but you did a photo essay of their overseas corporation in Berlin last summer," Maya replied. "I can't find Farkle on my own, and I need your help."

"Yes, but that was with his father. His father runs the overseas corporation," Shawn replied.

"Can you call him and ask where Farkle is?" Maya pleaded.

"Why don't you just ask Riley?" Cory asked. "Didn't the two of you make amends when you were in California?"

"Yeah, but it's still not the same. And she's going to ask why I want to see Farkle, and I'm not ready to tell her why."

"Why _do_ you want to see Farkle?" Shawn asked.

"He's the only one who would understand," Maya said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Cory wondered.

Maya admitted to both what her worries were. "What if I'll never be as good as my friends?" she whispered. "I mean, they've all found what they're meant to be?"

"Oh, Maya," Shawn sighed, hugging his surrogate daughter. "You can't think that. Look at what happened to me. I spent my whole life wanting to have a relationship like Cory and Topanga. I never thought I was as good as they were. Didn't think I'd ever be. But you know what? Some people just take a little longer than others in terms of finding who they're meant to be. I couldn't be happier doing what I'm doing now. You'll get there someday."

"Thanks," Maya sighed. "But I'm almost 30 years old and I think I'm having a mid-life crisis twenty years early."

Cory laughed. "Maya, I would hardly call this a mid-life crisis. You've just reached a standstill. It's not a crisis unless you decide to run off and become a prostitute, or something insane like that."

"So what do I do?" Maya asked weakly.

"You go back to school and finish your Master's," Shawn told her. "You've come too far to give up now. There's what, four months left?"

"Yeah," Maya said.

"And afterwards, you can look forward to getting married, which I am still opposed to," Cory added.

"I'm gonna be your sister," Maya teased.

"It's my worst nightmare come to life," Cory said, shuddering.

"It won't be that bad," Shawn said.

"You didn't have to teach her in middle school," Cory retorted.

"I'm not that girl anymore," Maya reminded him.

"You're right, you're not. You're a confident young woman who's going to make the world her own someday, just like her friends have done for themselves," Cory said.

"Why didn't anyone tell me about Riley's accident?" Maya asked them. "I'm her best friend, or at least I was at that time. I deserved to know."

"I'm not sure why no one told you, to be quite honest," Shawn said. "I do know that when Josh came back to New York after visiting her in Los Angeles, that he said we couldn't tell Maya. When I asked why, he said that it was something he and Lucas had agreed upon."

"Why though?" Maya groaned, frustrated.

"I think you should ask Josh," Cory said.

"I did, he wouldn't tell me. He then proceeded to avoid the subject of conversation, hoping I'd forget about it and wouldn't bring it up. But I didn't forget." Maya looked down at her lap. "Why am I always left out of the loop?"

"I'm sorry, Maya. But I'm sure they have a good reason for it, even if it was extremely stupid to not tell you," Shawn said. "I'll call Stuart and ask him if he knows where Farkle is."

"Thanks Shawn," Maya said. "I really appreciate it."


	8. Seven: Girl Meets Change

**Hi everyone!**

 **I'm so, so, so sorry that I haven't updated in six months. Things got really busy in second semester and I was super stressed about getting into university. Now that I've graduated, I feel that the next chapter is due. I haven't given up on this story and I hope you haven't either!**

 **XOXO - Lauren.**

 **Outfits for this chapter:** **www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=202816218**

* * *

Maya stepped off the train once it arrived in Manhattan's Financial District, about fifteen minutes away from where they'd all grown up in Greenwich Village. Thanks to Shawn, she had an appointment with Farkle at one o'clock, although it wasn't for business purposes. She was hoping he might have some answers as to why Lucas and Josh had kept her in the dark regarding Riley's accident all these years.

Pushing past people waiting to board the train, Maya hurried out of the station and straight to the Minkus Tower, headquarters of Minkus International. Maya was excited to see her old friend, having seen very little of him over the last ten years. In fact, since she'd started graduate school, Maya hadn't seen Farkle at all. She didn't even know if he was still with Smackle.

Pushing the door open, Maya's heels clicked across the tile floor as she made her way to the receptionist's desk. "Hi, I have an appointment with Mr. Minkus at one. My name is Maya Hart," she added.

The receptionist typed away on her keyboard before looking up and smiling. "Mr. Minkus would like to see you now, actually," she said. "Please take that elevator over there," she added, gesturing to an elevator with large, steel doors. "Also, you'll need to swipe this key card once you are inside to push the button for Mr. Minkus's floor," she said, handing Maya the card. "Please return the card here once you're finished."

Maya nodded. "Thank you," she said, smiling. Key card in hand, she strode over to the elevator and stepped inside once it opened. She waved the card in front of the reader and pressed the only button on the panel. "Damn, Farkle, you have your own private elevator," she murmured to herself as the elevator started upwards.

When the doors opened, Maya stepped out and faced the largest set of doors she had ever seen. The doors reached all the way to the ceiling, which made Maya feel even smaller than she already was. Two security guards stood on either side. "You have business?" one guard asked her.

Maya swallowed, holding up the key card. "I'm here to see Mr. Minkus."

"What is your reason for visiting?" the other guard asked, crossing his arms.

"It's a personal visit," Maya admitted. "Mr. Minkus and I went to school with each other for fifteen years." She could see the guards didn't believe her. "Look," she said, exasperated. "I wouldn't be up here if I didn't have an appointment."

"She's got a point," the first guard sighed. He pressed an intercom button beside the door. "Mr. Minkus? You have a visitor."

"Send her in then," Farkle's exasperated voice crackled through the overhead speaker. "I've been expecting her."

"But she says it's a personal visit," the second guard admitted.

"Did I not just tell you to send her in?" Farkle asked. "Send her in."

The first guard unlocked the door and both doors opened. Maya's eyes went wide as she took in the room before her, taking tentative steps inside. "Farkle, this place is even more insane than your bedroom in the eighth grade."

"Are you going to hit me like you did then?" Farkle teased, getting up from his desk. "Maya, it's really good to see you again." He glanced at his guards. "Close the door now," he sighed.

"As you wish, Mr. Minkus," the second guard said, and both enormous doors closed with the gentlest of 'clicks'.

"How have you been?" Farkle asked, hugging his long-time friend. "I haven't seen you in five years."

"I've been busy," she admitted. "Did you get the wedding invitation?"

"I did. Congratulations, by the way," Farkle added, grinning. "I also heard about the Art Factory, so congratulations for that too."

"Thanks," Maya said, bashful. "How have you been?"

"Fine, I'm one step closer to ruling the world," Farkle joked. "We've already got locations on every continent except Antarctica."

"I'm very impressed," Maya said, taking a seat. "So, listen, I actually came here to talk about Riley."

"I'm not surprised, I had a feeling she was why you wanted to see me." Farkle sat back down in the chair next to her. "How was it, seeing her again? Lucas told me it was interesting, to say the least."

"It was definitely strange," Maya admitted. "She was like a stranger. And..." Maya hesitated. "She was mad at me."

"Because you never visited her after her accident?" Farkle guessed. When Maya's eyes flew open, he nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"But I didn't know she had one, nobody ever told me," Maya said, frustrated. "And when I ask Josh why he never told me, he refuses to!"

"I'm sure he had a very good reason for keeping it from you," Farkle said. "But as for the actual reason, I honestly have no idea. My understanding is that Josh was afraid the news would derail your future, and Lucas agreed that it would too."

"But I wasn't even doing anything important," Maya said, confused.

"Are you sure?" Farkle asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's been six years. You might not remember."

Maya hesitated. "I'm sure," she said, despite what she felt. "But regardless, they should've told me."

Farkle stood up. "If that's all, then I don't think we have anything else to talk about."

Maya's eyes went wide. "That's it? You're going to ice me out again?"

"Maya, I have never once iced you out," Farkle said. "You were the one who ceased all our communications."

Maya studied her old friend, noting the new lines near his eyes and cheekbones. He looked hollowed out. She bit her lip. "Farkle, are you all right?"

Farkle cocked his head. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You look tired."

Farkle sat down on the edge of his desk. "I am," he admitted. "It's been a long couple of years."

"Maybe you need a break," Maya suggested.

"I would love one, but I don't trust anybody to run my company in my absence," Farkle said, staring out at the Manhattan skyline.

"Where's Izzy?" Maya asked hesitantly.

"In Texas. She's working for NASA." The pain and curt tone of voice laced in his speech led Maya to believe that their breakup had not been his idea. "She's with Zay now."

"Oh, Farkle, I'm so sorry," Maya sighed.

"Don't be, Maya. It's not your fault." Farkle looked back at her. "We just grew apart."

"But you seemed so happy," Maya said.

"That was five years ago, the last time you saw us," Farkle reminded her. "A lot has changed."

"You should get your dad to run your company while you take a leave of absence," Maya suggested. "Go to California, see the old gang. Lucas, Charlie, Riley."

Farkle didn't say anything, so Maya took that as her opportunity to leave. "I'll see you around," she said quietly. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will," Farkle promised. "It was good to see you again, Maya."

"You as well." With one last look at the smartest man she'd ever known, Maya left the room and the building. Since Farkle didn't have any answers for her, she would have to question her fiance again.

And she wasn't going to let Josh off without an answer.

* * *

Riley, Aspen, and Jolie were at the last dance competition of the season. Their studio hadn't qualified for the Dance Factory, so they were at a local competition instead. But her run-in with Julian had shaken Riley deeply. She still wasn't her normal self.

She didn't know when she would be.

"Riley?" Aspen asked softly.

Her head snapped up. "Yeah?" she asked, shaking her head.

"Are you all right?"

"What do you think?" Riley snapped.

"Maybe you should go home," Jolie said quietly. "You're not focused."

"I need a break," Riley admitted. "Maybe it's time to go home."

"Then we'll see you back at the apartment," Aspen said.

Riley opened her eyes wider. "Oh, I didn't mean the apartment." She swallowed. "I just think I need to put as much space between myself and Julian as possible."

"Are you sure?" Aspen asked. "Where would you go?"

"Maybe stay with my parents a while," Riley mused.

"Well, since the dance season is ending, you wouldn't be missing any classes," Jolie admitted. "But how long would you be gone?"

"I'll be back before the beginning of next season," Riley reassured her friend. "I think, at least," she corrected. "I just need to find myself again."

Aspen gave her a hug. "You know we'll support you no matter what. Just make it through this competition at least?"

"Yeah, okay," Riley said, managing a smile.

The three women walked to their studio's preparation room, which was chaos as usual. Aspen took a seat while Riley and Jolie ran around the room adjusting costumes, critiquing makeup, and running dance numbers. As the day continued, Riley longed for the competition weekend to end. All she wanted to do was throw things into a suitcase and board the first plane to New York. But she knew she had responsibilities here in California.

Once she had fulfilled them, she would head straight to the airport. It was time for a change.

* * *

 **OKAY SO I KNOW LIKE THIS IS SUPER BAD AND A FILLER AND LIKE WHAT EVEN HAPPENED**

 **BUT I PROMISE THERE'S MORE TO COME**

 **ALSO**

 **RIARKLE**

 **REUNION**

 **LIKE YES PLEASE**

 **SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DROP ME A REVIEW AND YELL AT ME TO POST SOMETHING SOON**

 **XOXO LAUREN**


	9. Eight: Girl Meets the Truth About Julian

**Riley and Farkle: www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=202989373**

 **Maya and Josh: www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=203032516**

* * *

Stepping off the plane at LaGuardia immediately settled Riley's nerves. She hadn't set foot in her home state in years. Her trip had been so spontaneous she'd forgotten to tell her parents she was coming, but she planned to make up for that now. Riley took out her phone and called her father as she headed for the baggage claim. After shocking her father into a dead faint when she revealed she'd returned to New York, she retrieved her luggage and made her way outside the airport.

She debated hailing a cab, but all she really wanted to do was wander the streets of New York and get lost. She just wasn't thrilled about dragging her luggage around with her. Then again, it wasn't too cumbersome, so she figured she could manage with it for a few hours.

Riley set off, luggage in tow. She would eventually have to take a cab to get back to Manhattan, but for now, she was content to walk through Jackson Heights. It hadn't been more than thirty minutes before she'd found herself lost in a vintage store, without a care in the world.

Riley was looking at an embroidered peach when she heard her name. The first thought that came into her mind was that somehow, Julian had followed her to New York. A wave of relief swept through her when she turned around and saw an old friend staring back at her. "Farkle?" she asked, eyes wide. "What are you doing here?"

"I was expecting a more welcoming response," Farkle admitted.

"Sorry, I'm just," Riley stammered. "Give me a hug!" Riley wrapped her arms around him. "How did you know I was here?"

"Your dad was worried about you, so he called Shawn to complain," Farkle said. "Shawn told Maya and Maya told me to come find you."

"That all happened within a span of thirty minutes?" Riley asked, confused. "And why didn't Maya just come and find me herself?"

Farkle shrugged. "Maya came to visit me a couple of days ago, at work. She said your reunion wasn't exactly all she was hoping for."

Riley sighed. "She's not wrong. Maybe we were just expecting so much out of it, that we were disappointed with what actually happened. That, and I accused her of being a terrible friend when really, it was none of her fault."

Farkle glanced around; patrons were beginning to stare at them. "Let's get out of here," he said, taking Riley's purple suitcase. "You can tell me about anything you need to get off your chest while I drive you home."

Riley nodded and followed him out of the store, not before setting the embroidered peach back down on the shelf. "How did you find me?" she asked, helping Farkle put her suitcase and purse into the trunk of his car.

"Well, it had only been thirty minutes since you called your dad, and I figured you can't walk too far in that amount of time, so I went to the airport and drove. I wasn't exactly sure where I was going, but I saw the narrow alleyway and figured you must be in there. You always loved looking for the smallest places."

"They hide the biggest treasures," Riley finished softly, remembering what she'd told her friends back in high school. "You know me so well."

"Even after all these years, yeah," Farkle said sheepishly. His face turned solemn. "Why are you back in New York, Riley?"

She hesitated. "I needed to leave. I ran into an old flame, and I got spooked."

Farkle raised an eyebrow. "Since when does Riley Matthews run away from her problems?"

"I know, I know," Riley groaned. "But Julian is a little different. I can't explain it, really."

"Yeah? Try me," Farkle said. "Remember, I'm the guy who's ex-girlfriend ran off to Texas with one of his best friends to work for NASA and get married."

"Zay and Izzy are married?" Riley gasped. "Why weren't we invited to the wedding? Does Lucas know?"

"Calm down, they only did it six months ago. And they eloped. My guess is Izz-Isadora's father wasn't impressed with Zay." Farkle frowned.

"I'm sorry, Farkle," Riley said softly. "I know how hard that must be."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not." Riley took a deep breath. "Look, I met Julian at a bar in my junior year of university. He was very upfront with his feelings towards me, not unlike a guy I used to know," she said, smiling at him. She swallowed before continuing. "Our relationship was this wild ride that I wanted so desperately to get off of but couldn't."

"Why not?" Farkle asked curiously.

"It just moved so fast. By the end of our second date, I'd already fallen head over heels in love with him. That's faster than any other guy I've had feelings for, including Lucas," Riley admitted. "He introduced me to all his friends, his family, and I'd called my parents to let them know I was seeing someone who wasn't taught by my father in grade school. It was one of the craziest experiences of my entire life, and that's including my near-death experience."

Farkle didn't say anything.

Riley took a deep breath. "We dated for two and a half years before I ended things."

Now, he felt compelled to. "Why?" he prompted.

"I moved in a week after we'd said 'I love you' to each other, I started abandoning my studies, I stopped going to classes and stopped caring about everything else in the world. I ceased all communications with my friends, with Lucas, and you and Maya. I was so wrapped up in our relationship that I couldn't see it was tearing apart everything else that was important in my life. I didn't even speak to my parents for a year. It was toxic. Lucas, Charlie, Aspen, and Jolie staged an intervention, and thanks to them, I was finally able to see things clearly again. I realized how unhealthy the relationship was, and even though it tore me up inside, I knew the right thing was to break up with him."

"But I take it your feelings haven't changed?" Farkle questioned. "That's why you ran away, right? You were afraid that running into him again would throw your relationship with him back into overdrive."

Riley leaned back, frustrated. "He's been trying to convince me to give our relationship another chance for the last year. He's been 'running into' me everywhere," Riley revealed, making air quotes with her fingers. She shook her head. "I haven't told anyone that I've been seeing him everywhere lately. Aspen and Jolie think the first time I saw him since our breakup was at the restaurant."

"So you're afraid," Farkle repeated.

"I just don't know what to do." Riley shrugged. "I guess I am afraid."

"There's no shame in admitting you are, you know," Farkle said gently.

"Aspen and Jolie, even Lucas or Charlie, none of them understand what I'm going through. They all think Julian is toxic. They'll all tell me to stay away from him, file a restraining order, something like that. The thing is, they didn't understand, at the time, that when we were dating, I was the happiest I'd ever been." Riley stared out the window. "If I tell them that, they'll think I'm still being brainwashed by him."

"So you need someone with an objective perspective," Farkle realized. "So, me?"

"You, Maya, my parents, Josh, Auggie, anyone," Riley sighed. "That's why I came, and I'm not going back until I've figured this out."

"I'm here for you," Farkle promised, moving his hand to hers. He gave it a tight squeeze. "No matter what."

Riley smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

Maya was sitting on the couch in her apartment with Josh, watching some old 60s movie, when her cell rang. Shuffling so that she could reach her phone without moving away from Josh, she answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hi," Riley said tentatively.

Maya's eyes opened wide, and she brought the phone away from her ear to stare at the caller ID. "Are you in New York?" she asked suspiciously. "Because the number on the ID is a New York area code."

"I am," Riley admitted. "I got in earlier this afternoon."

"Really?" Maya asked, shocked.

"I thought you knew," Riley said, confused. "Farkle said that you called him and told him to pick me up."

"I didn't tell him to do anything," Maya said. "I told him what Shawn had told me, he must've called your dad and asked what was going on."

"Oh," Riley said. "Farkle said that you told him to find me."

Maya shrugged, then realized Riley couldn't see her. "Why are you calling, Riles?"

A pause.

Riley finally said, "I thought we could get together, just like old times."

Maya looked up at Josh, who was looking inquisitively at her. "Uh, yeah, of course," Maya said. "But if you think I'm crawling through your bay window, you've got another thing coming for you."

Riley laughed. "I promise you won't have to. Topanga's in an hour? Bring Josh if you want. Farkle's coming too, I heard the two of you talked the other day. Did Josh tell you why he never told you about my accident?"

"I haven't had a chance to ask him yet," Maya said, glancing at her fiance once more. "I will, though."

"Good." Riley paused once more. "How are you doing, Peaches?"

"All right. School's being a bitch, as usual. Wedding preparations are slowly killing me, too."

Riley laughed again. "Sounds like you could use a friend-tervention."

"I could definitely use one of those," Maya said, smiling. "I'll see you in an hour."

"Can't wait," Riley said, before hanging up.

Maya set the phone down and looked at Josh. "How do you feel about an early dinner?" Without waiting for an answer, she headed for her closet, needing to ditch her sweatpants immediately. Unfortunately, Kaelyn was helping James out with work, so she couldn't consult her fashion designer best friend for clothing advice. Taking a deep breath, she opened the doors to the closet and stared at the clothes she owned. She was just going to have to make something work.

She was nervous about seeing Riley again. What had brought on her sudden desire to leave sunny, calm, California, for the chaos that was the Big Apple? The dance season was barely over, so unless Jolie had fired Riley, she couldn't possibly begin to understand why Riley had returned.

Josh knocked on the door as Maya was reaching for a skirt with a pattern of green leaves. "You never explained where we were going," he said, leaning on the doorframe.

"Riley's in town and she wants to see us," Maya said, sliding her sweats off and putting the skirt on. "Unless you don't want to."

"Riley's back?" Josh asked, surprised. "Cory didn't say anything about her coming back."

"Apparently he didn't know she was coming," Maya said, digging through a pile of black tops before resurfacing with one she hoped was adequate. "We're meeting at Topanga's in an hour, so you'd better get out of your onesie."

"It's not a onesie!" Josh protested.

"There's a giant zipper at the front and you wear it as one," Maya said, raising an eyebrow. "Just put on something appropriate, please," she sighed. "Don't fight me on this." Josh didn't move, but a slow smile appeared on his face. "What?" she asked, irritated.

"It's been a long time since you dropped everything to be with her," Josh said, almost to himself. "I'm glad that part of you has returned."

Maya furrowed her brow. "I didn't drop everything, we were watching some old movie that I wasn't even paying attention to."

"We were still doing something."

"Do you not want me to go, or something?" Maya snapped. "Kind of like how you didn't want me to rush to my almost-dying friend's bedside six years ago?"

Josh blanched. "Maya, that's not what I meant at all. I've missed that part of you, the part of you that would do anything to help her friends."

Maya shook her head. "Yeah, well that's ironic, considering you were the one who took that away from me. By not telling me the truth about Riley. By hiding the fact that she needed and wanted me there. You're right, I would have dropped everything to get to her. I wouldn't have cared about the repercussions to my future." She stood up from the closet to look at him. "But I wouldn't have lost my best friend."

Top in hand, she pushed past him and into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. "Be ready in thirty minutes!" she yelled through the door. "Or I'm leaving without you."

* * *

 **Trouble in Joshaya paradise?**

 **What will Rilaya's reunion be like?**

 **Why did Josh hide Riley's accident from Maya?**

 **All that and much more in the next update!**

 **xoxo Lauren.**


	10. Nine: Girl Meets Reality Check

**Hey all! I've got some great ideas for this story so I'm just gonna keep pumping them out. In this update, we finally learn why Josh didn't tell Maya about Riley, and then, Joshaya and Farkle help Riley figure out what to do with Julian so she can go back to living her life in California. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Lauren.**

* * *

"Talk," Maya ordered the moment they sat down in Topanga's. Riley and Farkle stared at Maya, confused. "Oh, not you two," Maya said apologetically. "Him." She glared at her fiance. "Tell us the truth."

"We deserve to know," Riley added. "I was in rehab for an extra two months because Maya never showed up. After my physio, they put me into a mental institution."

Everyone winced.

Josh swallowed. "It made sense at the time, it really did."

"Not telling Maya about the accident threw a wrench into their friendship," Farkle said, crossing his arms. "And, it made things worse between Riley, Lucas, and myself, so this had better be good."

"Great, even," Riley finished.

"Okay, all right," Josh relented, holding up his hands in defeat. "Maya, I'm assuming you don't remember what was going on when Riley was injured."

"Does it look like I remember?" Maya said angrily.

Josh hesitated. "You should."

Riley's eyes went wide. "Oh my gosh, I know." She had been thinking hard, because it had obviously been important. Then she remembered the phone call she'd received a week prior to her accident. "Your mom, Maya."

Maya stared at Riley hard, before turning to Josh. "That was in the same week?" she asked, a lump in her throat. She swallowed hard. "Okay, that's a good reason."

"Lucas and I felt like it would be unfair to put you in the position to have to choose between the two most important people in your world, and if we were wrong for thinking that way, I'm sorry," Josh admitted. "Looking back on it now, it would've been fairer for you to know about Riley, at the very least, just so she wouldn't think you'd abandoned her."

"Lucas didn't even tell me that's why Maya didn't show up," Riley said, raising an eyebrow.

Josh shook his head. "Apparently, you were not in the greatest shape."

"Well, hardly anyone who's been run over would be in great shape," Riley said sarcastically.

Farkle hesitated. "Maya, your mom was fine when Riley was hit by the car." All three sets of eyes turned to him. "Riley, you were hit by that car on September 5th."

"How do you even remember that?" Riley asked, shocked.

Maya filled in the rest of Farkle's thought. "My mom wasn't diagnosed until September the 12th. A full week later." She turned to Josh. "You done lying to me yet?"

"Katy hadn't been diagnosed until a week after Riley's accident, but she'd gone in for her MRI a week before Riley's accident," Josh explained. "You were convinced she was dying and you were on the verge of a mental breakdown every second of the day, Maya. You were taking the idea harder than she was."

"Because everybody I love leaves," Maya said angrily.

Silence filled the shop.

"I haven't," Josh said quietly, sounding slightly hurt, "and neither has Shawn."

"Riley left. Lucas left. Farkle left. Zay left. Izzy left." Both Riley and Farkle flinched when their names were said. "What happened to staying friends forever?" she asked them both.

"Life got busy," Riley admitted, "and then I almost got killed."

"We're all still friends, Maya, we're just not as close as we used to be," Farkle said. "Don't shove actions where they never happened. We might have physically left, but we never truly left you, Maya. And it's not like you ever called us if you needed us. I found out about your mother through Mr. Matthews."

"Maya, you should have told me," Riley said quietly. "Kind of like how I found out about your engagement through my father. Had you called to tell me about your mom when it'd happened, maybe you might've known I was in the hospital."

"You're taking your hurt and frustrations out on us, when it's misplaced," Farkle said gently. "You don't have to be angry anymore. Not at us. We've always been here for you. You know that we'd pick up the phone in an instant if you called."

Riley continued, "At least, until the circumstances changed. Lucas and I kept finding out about things happening in your life through my parents, through Josh. None of it ever came from you."

"You drifted first," Farkle finished. "I understand why you did, because losing your mom when you're that young can't be easy. It would be easy to shut yourself up away from the world. Which, obviously, you did."

Josh gave Maya a sympathetic squeeze as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she managed to get out, before giving into the sobs. "You're right. I-I'm mad at myself, I'm angry that she's gone, I'm disappointed that I let myself let go of you guys like that."

"None of that matters, because we're here for you now," Riley said, standing up and sitting down beside her. She gave Maya a hug, holding her as she cried. It was several minutes before the sobs subsided. "Maya, we're here, and we're not going anywhere until you're okay."

Farkle had moved closer as well. "But you won't be okay unless you can forgive yourself."

Maya looked up, her blue eyes surrounded by red. "I'm really sorry," she repeated.

"Maya, none of this is your fault. It's just the way things happened when you closed yourself off from the world. No one blames you for doing that, because you needed to find a way to cope," Josh said quietly, kissing her hair. "Besides, we're not just your friends. We're your family. We love you no matter what."

* * *

It took three lattes, a gingerbread cookie, and an uncountable amount of hugs to calm Maya back down. With the elephant in the room deflated, the talk turned to why Riley had suddenly reappeared back in New York. After a couple of uncomfortable moments' silence, Riley explained carefully to her best friend and uncle her situation with Julian. Farkle chimed in at certain times with anything she'd forgotten to mention.

"Do you still love him?" Maya asked immediately when Riley had finished.

Riley hesitated. "I don't know. But I never got over him."

"But you may not love him anymore," Josh said. "If you don't, then you need to talk to him and tell him to scram, before I go over there and rip his head off for you."

Riley laughed, but then she frowned. "I haven't thought about him like that in years. I just keep remembering everything that happened when we were together, and how amazing it was. How freed I felt. How I thought our relationship was perfect, until they showed me it wasn't."

"The thing is, Riles," Farkle interjected, "maybe he's changed."

"Wait, is this the guy who came up to you at the restaurant?" Maya questioned.

"Yeah," Riley said.

"The guy who made you clam up like, well, a clam, and refuse to talk about it for the rest of the time I was there?" Maya clarified.

Riley nodded.

"I really don't know what to say, Riley," Josh admitted. "Your friends in California were right when they thought your relationship with him was toxic. But things might be different now. Honestly, I think you should talk to him."

"What would I even say?" Riley wondered.

"Ask him why he's been following you around?" Maya suggested.

"See if the spark is still there," Farkle said. "Go grab a coffee and catch up. And if it's not, tell him you're not interested and that he needs to stop acting like a creep."

Riley lifted a shoulder. "I guess."

"And if he continues to creep, just give me a call," Josh reassured her. "I'll set him straight." He cracked his knuckles for emphasis.

Riley hastened to add, "That's not necessary, the last thing I need is for my uncle to get thrown in jail months before his wedding." She looked at Maya and Farkle. "It's really good to be with you two again. The original three."

"Yeah, before Ranger Rick screwed everything up," Maya said.

"Before feelings existed," Farkle added.

"Please, Farkle, your feelings existed from the moment you first met us at my Hallowe'en party," Riley said, laughing.

Farkle grinned. "Guilty as charged."

"So," Maya said, "how long are you staying here?"

"Well, I was planning to leave when I was ready, so I'm not exactly sure," Riley admitted. "But at least now I know what I have to do when I get back to California, and I can prepare myself for that."

They chatted for another hour, catching up on each others' lives. It wasn't long before they fell into rhythm, a rhythm none of them had experienced since senior year of high school, before they'd all split apart. They were comfortable. They were happy.

 _"Your safe place is each other."_

There really was no place like home.

* * *

 **Two updates in one day? I'm pumping these out now. Next up: Riley and Julian come face to face, because being the creepy creep creep he is, he manages to find her in New York.**

 **Hope this was enough to keep you guys interested. It's really about to get wild.**

 **Lauren.**


	11. Ten: Girl Meets Face to Face

**Chapter Outfits:** **www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=203648627**

 **There's a double meaning to the title of this chapter. Riley comes face to face with Julian, but also face to face with the truth. Major Riarkle scene!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Riley walked down Fifth Avenue with a smile on her face. It had been so long since she'd been back in New York, and she'd forgotten how much she loved her hometown.

Or was it home-city?

She was enjoying a day of shopping, by herself. Maya was busy at school, and Farkle had to go back to work. Josh was at work too. So Riley was alone. She walked into Zara and busied herself in the racks. She wasn't that into high-end brands, preferring vintage clothing, but she had fun looking at pricier clothing as well. The issue usually was that brand names were too expensive for her salary.

She glanced at a couple of price tags and winced. She was in way over her head. The only store she could probably afford to shop at in New York was Forever 21. Contrary to what most might think, nationally-recognized dancers and choreographers didn't earn that much money.

Riley left Zara without a single purchase and began heading back towards Greenwich Village. It would take at least an hour to walk, so she started for the nearest subway station when someone grabbed her hand from behind. She spun around, startled, ready to tell them off, when she recognized the person. "Julian?" she demanded incredulously. "What the hell?" She pulled her hand out of his.

He looked apologetic, but still full of swagger. "I had to see you."

"You know this is really far up there on the stalker scale, right?" Riley asked, rolling her eyes. "I mean, I left California because of you and you somehow found me anyways."

"I might've checked for your flight plan," Julian admitted.

Riley shook her head. "See? Stalker."

"Riley, you have to listen to me this time. And I promise that if you do, and you still don't agree, I will leave you alone."

"Why don't I believe you?" Riley challenged.

"I don't blame you for not, but I swear, Riles," Julian implored. "One chance."

"Fine, but you don't get to call me that," Riley said, crossing her arms. "You can walk with me to the subway station."

Julian glanced ahead. "Riley, that's like a two minute walk."

She smirked at him. "Then you'd better start talking."

* * *

Their conversation lasted much longer than two minutes; in fact, they'd almost walked all the way to Greenwich Village by the time Julian had finished. He'd told her, as soon as they'd reached a subway stop, that he'd let her go to the next one. Riley had no idea why she hadn't just kept walking away.

There was something that always drew her back.

"Riley, you have to understand that I'm serious about this." Julian stopped her so that they were facing each other. He took her hand gently. "I still love you."

Riley looked past him, at the tall buildings of NYU, anywhere but his eyes. "Julian, our relationship wasn't healthy. Especially for me. I almost lost everything."

"I know, Riley. It wasn't healthy for me either. But it's been a long time, and we've both changed tremendously. We're both responsible people, and I can't see us getting that carried away with each other like we once did."

"Jules..." Riley sighed, and then her eyes popped open. Uh-oh.

Julian raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Jules?"

"It was a slip," Riley snapped.

Julian continued to smirk knowingly. "Okay, Riley. Whatever you say." His tone turned serious. "You've heard what I've had to say. Thank you. Now if you can honestly look at me, in the eyes, and tell me you don't have any feelings for me, then I'll leave you alone forever." He even let go over her hand.

There was a pause. Riley swallowed and forced herself to maintain eye contact. But she couldn't bring herself to lie. "I can't say that," she said, sighing. "Because I've never gotten over you."

Julian's eyes lit up.

"However," Riley said loudly, trying not to give him false hope, "that doesn't mean we can just get back together. I still have to figure out what these unresolved feelings mean. I don't know if I'm willing to put myself through us again."

Julian frowned. "What would it take you to give me another chance?"

Riley took a deep breath. "Go back to California, Julian. Give me time to figure things out. And when I'm ready to come back, I'll give you a call." She could see Julian mulling this over, and hoped he would take it.

Finally, he nodded. Taking a step back, he said, "All right. I'll see you in California, Riley. But on one condition."

"And what's that?" she asked, crossing her arms.

He grinned, that cheeky smile that she hated because it created butterflies in her stomach, before leaning in to kiss her. Almost immediately, Riley was swept back into old habits. She kissed him back, eagerly, her arms going around his neck as his encircled her waist. It almost felt like they had gone back in time, and they were just two happy kids in love, kissing in the streets of New York without a care in the world. But as reality hit her once more, she pulled away instantly, staring at him with wide eyes.

Julian was still smirking. "I know how you feel, Riley, but I'll let you figure it out for yourself. See you in Cali."

She was still standing in shock as he turned and walked away. Her eyes followed him until he disappeared for good in the crowds.

"Fuck," she muttered, before starting for the subway.

* * *

"You did what?" Maya shouted.

Riley winced and shrank further into the couches. "I didn't know he was going to kiss me!"

"You kissed him back!" Maya retorted.

"I couldn't help it!" Riley groaned, mashing her face with a pillow. "I need help." She spared a glance at Farkle, who was sitting in the armchair staring at the floor. "Are you mad?" she asked him.

Farkle looked at her. "I don't know," he said.

Riley groaned and put the pillow back on her face. "This is the worst day of my life. And the worst part was that I wanted it to happen! I wanted to kiss him back when he kissed me. I'm clearly not over him, and yet the last thing I want to do is get back together with him!"

"I'm kind of impressed with this guy," Josh commented. "He's got guts to kiss you. He was probably risking getting slapped."

"Please, he kissed Riley because he knew she would kiss her back, because he knew she still liked him," Maya scoffed. "And you are not helping."

Josh held up his hands in defeat.

Riley, behind the pillow, was ready to throw in the towel, curl up into a ball, and cry. She felt the tears well up in her eyes. Why couldn't she figure this out? She was almost thirty years old and she felt like she was back in high school, fighting with Maya over who Lucas would choose. Everything in her life was falling apart again.

"Riley?" Farkle asked, concerned. She'd been behind the pillow for almost five minutes. Slowly, Riley removed the pillow from her face. From the amount of tears streaming down her face, she was sure she bore some resemblance to a raccoon.

Maya's face softened. "Oh, honey," she sighed, giving her a hug. "You'll get through this."

"Maybe it's time you talked to Dr. Froese again," Farkle suggested.

"I think he's in Antigua," Riley said, sniffing. "He said he was moving there after his retirement."

"You need professional help, Riley. I don't think talking to any of your friends is going to help, because it hasn't," Josh said quietly. "Have you spoken to your parents?"

"I have, but I came straight here after today," Riley said, wiping away her tears with the tissue Maya handed her. "I'll go home and ask them what I should do."

"Good," Farkle said. "Because I think we're done here." He glanced at the clock. "I'm due back in the office," he sighed, standing up. "Call me if you need me," he said to the room, before turning and heading for the door.

Riley stood up too. "I'll go back to my parents place and figure things out. Or at least try. Thanks, guys," she said softly. She hugged both Maya and Josh before following Farkle out the door. But she was surprised to see him leaning against the wall waiting for her.

"You know, I thought you were stronger than that," he said, looking at her.

Riley flinched. "You don't know what it's like."

"I think I do," Farkle said, crossing his arms. "You spend every waking moment of every day with this guy for years until you realize how bad he is. Riley, this isn't love you're feeling, this is intoxication. Lust. Longing. It's like he's a drug. He keeps coming back, and you keep letting him. You want to believe that what you had back then was real, and it just wasn't, or else nothing would've gotten so fucked up where you almost lost everything."

The words hit Riley as if she were being hit with a rod multiple times. "You couldn't have said this in there?" she asked shakily, gesturing to the door.

"No, I couldn't have, because one of them would've interrupted me." Farkle looked at her. "Julian is nothing more than an addiction you have to curb, Riley. He's not the one for you. All he wants is that," he said, gesturing at her body. "He says he loves you, but if a guy really loves a girl, he won't pull her away from all the people she loves."

Riley knew Farkle was right. "How do you quit someone who just won't stop?"

"You find your strength again, Riley," Farkle said seriously, yet gently. "Your voice has been clouded, it's been cloaked by him. You don't speak your mind when you're around him, and that's dangerous because he can make you do things you don't want. Like what happened this afternoon. But you're strong, Riley. You'll find it again."

Tears streaming down her face now, Riley flung her arms around Farkle and let out a sob. "You're the best therapist a girl could ever have," she managed. But she couldn't see Farkle's face, the pain that flickered briefly across it, as he hugged her back and said, "I know."

"Will you help me?" Riley asked quietly, when she'd pulled away.

Farkle hesitated. "I think this has to be you."

"But I'm lost, Farkle. I need to find my voice again. I need help. Your help," Riley pleaded.

He'd never truly been able to say no to her. Not since that New Year's Eve night on the roof. He nodded and looked at her. "When do we start?" he asked, forcing a smile.

* * *

 **Poor Farkle.**

 **Hope this was a fun update! I'll try to update once more before I get on a plane to Europe for my vacation on Thursday.**

 **XOXO**

 **Lauren.**


	12. Eleven: Girl Meets Wedding Bells

**_RE-UPDATED BECAUSE OF TYPOS AND PLOT HOLES!_**

* * *

 **Lots of Rilaya, Joshaya, Riarkle. Wedding bells are in the air, and both Maya and Farkle have tough decisions to make.**

 **So I feel like this story has been focusing a little too much on Riley (not a bad thing) so I wanted to shine a little light on the other characters that I introduced earlier in the story and catch you all up on what they're up to.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **-Lauren.**

* * *

With Riley in town, Maya was taking advantage of the fact that she could use her best friend's help with wedding preparations. But she was still having difficulty deciding whether Kaelyn or Riley should be her maid of honor. She was knee-deep in wedding catalogues when Kaelyn bounced through the door with lattes. "Hello!" she called, before coming to a stop in front of Maya and dropping her mouth. "Oh, Maya, honey, your outfit," Kaelyn sighed.

Maya glanced down at her shorts and top. "What about them?" she asked. "I just threw this on, it's not like I'm going out."

"Can you at least change into something that won't make my eyes bleed?" Kaelyn pleaded.

Maya threw a pillow at her. "Get a grip."

Kaelyn relented and joined the growing mess on the coffee table. "Where's Riley?" she asked, dropping the lattes off on a side table to avoid spilling them on the plans.

"She's with her parents right now, but she said she's coming," Maya replied, crunching some numbers on a calculator and making a note on her clipboard. "Okay, so of the three venues Josh and I have narrowed down to, the largest venue can fit six hundred people, which is how many people we're planning to invite, but it's the most expensive. The second venue is the smallest of the three but it meets our budget. But it can only fit two hundred people. The last venue fits three hundred people and is slightly over our venue budget."

Kaelyn studied the clipboard intently. "Are you sure you're going to need space for six hundred people? I'd go with the three hundred one. Narrow your guest list down to 150 each, and if it happens to exceed 300 by ten or so people, I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem squeezing a couple more chairs in."

"That's not the issue, Kae, it's a fire hazard," Maya sighed. "The hall isn't licensed to exceed a certain limit."

"Have you picked out bridesmaid dresses?" Kaelyn asked.

"Well, Josh and I decided on light blue," Maya said, "but as for the style, no, I haven't."

"Maya!" Kaelyn exclaimed. "Your wedding is in three months and you don't have dresses? Do you even have your own?"

Maya leaned back. "I have an appointment later today. And yes, I picked my dress out, today's just a fitting."

"And you were planning on mentioning this to me when, exactly?" Kaelyn asked, crossing her arms.

Maya grinned sheepishly. "Now?"

Kaelyn rolled her eyes. "Is Riley coming?"

"Here or to the bridal store?" Maya asked. "I asked her this morning if she would come, I thought it'd be better to tell you in person. I only booked the appointment last night."

Kaelyn shook her head at Maya. "You're cutting it so close, Maya."

Maya whacked her with the clipboard. "Stop berating me and start helping, or you're not coming."

* * *

Riley stared at the vast amount of dresses in the bridal shop. She, Kaelyn, Isadora and one of Maya's friends from RISD, Annette, were waiting for Maya to come out in her wedding dress. None of them could believe that Maya had picked out a dress without anyone with her, but Riley trusted Maya. She was sure the dress looked stunning.

Almost unconsciously, Riley began making a list of friends she would ask to be bridesmaids at her wedding. _Maya, Izzy, Aspen, Jolie, Addie, Emily, Kendall..._ She almost laughed out loud. She hoped, whoever her future husband would be, that he would have enough friends to compensate for the amount of bridesmaids she would want. Who would be her maid of honor, Maya or Aspen?

Probably Maya, right? Aspen would understand.

Or maybe she wouldn't.

Riley frowned.

"Are you ready?" Maya asked from behind the curtain, shaking Riley from her thoughts.

"Yes!" She and Kaelyn said simultaneously, laughing afterwards.

"All right, here we go!" Maya said, and the curtain opened and she stepped out. Riley gasped. So did everyone else.

"I know I doubt your fashion sense most of the time," Kaelyn began, "but I promise I won't say another word anymore."

Maya curtsied. "That's high praise from a fashion designer."

All Riley could do was stare at the dress. It wasn't quite white, maybe an off-white, but the colour balanced perfectly against Maya's pale skin. She touched the dress. "Is this silk?" she asked.

"Yeah," Maya said, grinning. "Josh might murder me when he sees the bill for this."

Kaelyn studied the dress from her seat. "Peony and ivory, flounced silk organza and tulle. A-line bridal gown. Strapless sweetheart neckline with a draped bodice and jeweled trim at the natural waist."

"Are you a psychic?" Maya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, I just saw it in one of the catalogues on the coffee table," Kaelyn admitted. "But Maya, this is gorgeous."

"Absolutely," Annette gushed. "Josh will faint when he sees you."

Maya kicked at the hem. "I still have to get it hemmed maybe a couple of inches. But I take it you all like it?"

Riley nodded vigorously. Isadora grinned. "It is an excellent dress for your stature."

"Great," Maya said. "Now, for your bridesmaid dresses," she said, reaching past the curtain and pulling out a royal blue dress. "they will look like this."

Kaelyn made a face, and everyone laughed.

"Come on," Maya pleaded. She wiggled the hanger. "It's chiffon."

"I like it," Annette said. "It's really simple, and there's lace on the shoulder straps!"

"And besides, you're not all wearing the same colour," Maya added. "Annette, you're wearing royal blue."

"Awesome," Annette said, jumping up to take the dress.

"Kae, you're in this aqua colour, I thought it'd look nice," Maya said, giving Kaelyn her dress. "Izzy, you're in sky blue, and Riley, you'll be wearing teal."

They all got their dresses and disappeared into the dressing rooms to put them on. Riley really wished she wasn't wearing teal, but she had to admit she didn't look too bad in it. She would much prefer the royal blue Annette was wearing, or even Izzy's light blue.

"And you're all going to be wearing different shoes," Maya added when they all came out, gesturing to the four pairs of white heels on the floor. "Pick one."

As the afternoon continued - the girls took Maya out for afternoon tea to celebrate - Riley was grateful for the opportunity to be rid of Julian for the time being. So far, Farkle had been the only to give her advice she could take.

 _"Riley, you just have to trust you'll be able to figure things out," Topanga had said._

 _"The world knows what it's doing," Cory had added._

 _Riley had groaned. "But I need to know what I'm going to do before I go back to California! If I don't tell Julian anything, it's just going to get worse."_

And she'd come out of the conversation without knowing what to do. Her phone buzzed halfway through tea, and it was Lucas. _How's everything?_

 _It's getting there,_ she responded. _I still don't know what I'm going to do._

 _I heard he found you._

Riley sighed before sending a quick response: _He didn't do anything. Please don't flip out._

 _He kissed you, Riley. I think that's something to be concerned about._

Riley winced. _Did Maya tell you?_

 _Don't be mad at her, I asked her to tell me the truth. Riley, we're really worried about you._

 _Don't be,_ Riley replied. _Give me time to figure things out._

But the truth was, Riley was running out of time.

* * *

While Riley and Maya were out, Farkle was holed up in his office avoiding the world and the responsibilities that came along with it. He knew that Izzy was in town for Maya's bridal shower and was desperate to see her, but how would he react? Would he run away? Would he act normally and pretend like nothing was wrong? Would he crack under the pressure?

"Or," he muttered, "I could stay up here and hide like a coward."

Which was exactly what he was doing.

The thing was, he wasn't sure why he still felt this way. He and Izzy had parted ways long ago, but it still hurt to see her so happy with someone else. He was happy that she and Zay had found love with each other. But it seemed like everyone but him was finding love these days. Lucas had Aspen, Maya had always had Josh, and even Riley had Julian to a certain point. Even Charlie was married.

All he wanted was a little love of his own.

He wasn't sure why he'd said what he had to Riley the other day. He was just so frustrated to learn that she wasn't seeing things the way she usually did. She was usually extremely perceptive on most fronts. But he surprised himself by agreeing to help her. It wasn't that he didn't want to, it was that he was scared something else would come out of it. He wouldn't be able to help her at all, or he'd fall in love with the one girl he couldn't have.

* * *

Lucas was sitting on the pier with Charlie, staring at his phone. Jolie and Aspen were in the water. He was worried about Julian's effect on Riley. He and Charlie were discussing what they should do.

"Honestly, I want to help," Charlie was saying as Lucas returned his attention to him. "But Riley's a smart girl, and she knows better than anyone else that she has to figure this out on her own."

"He kissed her," Lucas said flatly.

"And without a doubt, that probably confused the hell out of her," Charlie agreed. "But Riley has friends in New York, and they can help diffuse the situation. Maya and Josh are there, her parents are there, Farkle is there."

"I guess," Lucas said doubtfully. "I'd really like to get my hands on that creep," he muttered, cracking his knuckles.

"He's not worth it, Lucas," Charlie said.

"But she is," Lucas said.

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Do you still like her?"

Lucas' eyes went wide. "What? Of course not," he scoffed. "I'm in love with Aspen. Riley is one of my best friends, and I don't want to see her get hurt again."

Charlie nodded and didn't say anything else. "Just don't actually beat him up if you see him. We don't need you to go to jail."

* * *

 **Final Outfits:** **www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=203794933 (when you see the bridesmaid dress in the collage, click on it, and then click on "More Info at ". You'll see all the different colours for that one dress, and the corresponding dresses each girl is wearing.)**

 **QUESTIONS:**

 _ **Does Lucas like Riley even though he's with Aspen?**_

 _ **Does Farkle like Riley?**_

 _ **Does Riley like Farkle?**_

 _ **Who will be Maya's maid of honor at her wedding, Kaelyn or Riley?**_

 _ **And what will Riley do about Julian?**_

 **Let me know in the comments what you think! -L**


	13. Twelve: Girl Meets Forbearance

**This is a very interesting, yet short, chapter because the tides seem to turn after this. No one is mentioned by name in the first part. Make sure you read VERY CAREFULLY. If you do, you'll be able to find out who's being addressed in each section.**

 _ **Forbearance: To hold back.**_

 **Who holds back?**

 **Who is being talked about in each section? And what are they talking about/referring to?**

 **I'll let you figure that one out. And if you can't, I'll reveal it in the next chapter.**

* * *

She's a million miles away.

They call, and they call, to no avail.

She's nowhere to be seen, nowhere to be found, nowhere to be heard.

She's a million miles away.

And yet, she's never felt so free.

But she knows she will have to return eventually. She sighs, closing her eyes and wishing all her problems away. Everything is so complicated now. There are jobs on the line, relationships in doubt, a wedding in the near future, and responsibilities to uphold. She has a decision to make. But it won't be an easy one.

* * *

He wishes he could leave.

He's trapped in his mind, in his life, by his feelings.

He's confined by the truth.

By what he knows.

By what he knows will happen if it gets out.

He's in pain and in misery, and he wants to help.

But all it would bring is destruction.

And he doesn't want to hurt anyone. Especially since he's experienced it firsthand himself. But he can't hide this forever. He's seen firsthand what withholding the truth can do to a person, a friendship, a relationship, and a future. He knows he has to tell her. But when, and how? And how will he deal with the fallout?

* * *

She's lost without her.

Everything seems to be falling apart. Her family, her friends, her career. It all hands in the balance.

All because she left, disappeared without a trace.

Distracted. Confused. Disconcerted. Angry.

"I wish she would've told me why."

It's all she can do to build up her walls before she can cry.

Even though she has others to lean on, her leaving again brings back so many memories of their past. What happened the last time she ran away. How it led everyone to see the light. Is that why she ran? So that she could learn something she didn't even know, herself? Or was it to find herself, and figure out her own life's problems? Whichever it was, she hoped she would return soon. Or there really wouldn't be any hope for any of them.

* * *

He knows he's the reason.

He knows he's screwed up.

He knows he can't fix this.

And he wishes he were wrong.

He keeps his distance now. From her, from her friends, from everyone. They probably all hate him, anyways, so it's just safer. But he truly cares about her, and wants her to be happy. She makes him the happiest man alive. But it is up to her to decide. It probably won't end well for him. He stares out onto the waterfront, wishing he were as light as a piece of grass, floating atop the ocean, the currents carrying him away. Maybe it's time to give it a rest, and hope she comes back to him. He's done all he can.

* * *

He's faced with a sudden doubt, that his life isn't as perfect as it seems.

The unresolved feelings have resurfaced.

He's confused, and alone, because he can't talk to anyone.

He wishes he could go home.

But more than anything, he wants to see her again.

He's sitting alone on the front porch, drinking coffee, rocking the chair back and forth. It reminds him so much of his home, the clear dark skies. How different the city is from where his roots are. He remembers the first day they met, and the impact she's continued to have on his life. He remembers the feelings he had for her. They never truly disappeared, because nothing had been solved. The triangle never died, just slowly faded into the background. But is it true love, or just old feelings that might never go away?

* * *

She regrets running away, even if it was for love.

She knows what she did hurt him.

She wants to apologize, but he won't even look at her.

So even though she is happy, the guilt continues to eat away at her.

Damaging her life.

She's so distracted in her daily life because she knows what she did was wrong. He deserved a proper goodbye, a proper send-off. Something to end their relationship on a good note. It's too late now, though. Their relationship is damaged, permanently. But as much as she knows this, she can't help but want to right the wrong. Can she, though?

* * *

 **Any clues?**

 **They're all a different person.**

 **I wonder how perceptive you all are?**

 **Lauren.**


	14. Thirteen: Girl Meets the Cat's Out

**Title meaning: the cat's out = the cat's out of the bag = to share information that was previously concealed.**

 **So, you can guess that all the secrets will come out, and all the problems posed in the last chapter will begin to get resolved.**

 **Also, if you were curious as to who was being spoken about:**

 **Person 1: Riley  
Person 2: Farkle  
Person 3: Maya  
Person 4: Julian  
Person 5: Lucas  
Person 6: Smackle**

 **Were any of your guesses right? Let me know!**

 **Now, let's get on with the show :)**

* * *

Riley returned to California three weeks after disappearing from New York. She had sent apologetic texts to her friends and parents. She felt extremely guilty for leaving, especially with Maya in such a stressful state with planning her wedding and trying to finish her graduate exams. With the wedding now two months away, she knew she had left at the most inopportune time.

She also probably kissed her chance to be Maya's maid of honor goodbye. Which she wasn't all too upset about, but she still would've liked to have been told Maya was going to make Kaelyn her maid of honor.

Riley just needed a break from everyone she knew. She thought going back to New York would've been enough, but you can never truly run away from your past, from the people that know you, by returning to your hometown.

So after the bridesmaid dress fitting, Riley had said goodbye, headed back to her parents' apartment to grab her things, and took a cab to JFK. She'd stared at the flight board for an hour before taking a flight to Martinique. It had been a glorious three weeks without questions, opinions, or thoughts about what she should do about Julian. She'd met some fun people, slept with a couple of guys, and had a normal life.

Or at least, what she thought would be a normal life.

"Riley Matthews, you have some explaining to do," Aspen said, crossing her arms the moment she opened the door and saw Riley standing there. "You can't just disappear off the face of the earth!"

"I'm sorry, I really am," Riley said, sighing. "I needed to get away from it all."

"Do you know how worried Lucas is?" Aspen demanded. "I had to keep telling him you were fine, that nothing was wrong, and he thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere!"

"Where is he?" Riley asked nervously.

"Work," Aspen said, shortly. "You have an hour to explain to me where you went and why, before he gets home and interrogates you."

So the two of them sat down on the couch and began talking. Riley told her everything, from what had happened the moment she'd stepped off the plane in New York, to Julian's resurgence, and admitted that Julian had been seeing her more than the first time at the restaurant. Aspen sighed but let Riley continue. Riley told her about Farkle's advice, they talked about Maya's wedding, and then Riley told her about her trip to Martinique.

Once she finished, Aspen started to speak. "I can't believe you never told any of us about Julian," she said, sounding upset.

Riley swallowed and winced. "I know, it wasn't smart of me to hide it from you, but I felt that if I involved you guys, it would make things worse. That it would make me gravitate back to him in an effort to not feel so controlled by you guys. It's kind of why our relationship got so out of control in the first place. So when he kissed me in New York, I'm ashamed to say I enjoyed it, and that I wanted more."

"Oh, Riles," Aspen sighed.

"Farkle helped me realize that my feelings were just that of infatuation, not love," Riley added. "So now that my vacation is over, I'm going to tell Julian that it's over and we can never be together." Riley frowned. "I just think he still loves me. I really don't want to hurt him."

Aspen opened her mouth to say something when the door banged open and Lucas came in, stopping short once he saw Riley. "Riley?" he shouted.

Riley flinched. Lucas was turning redder and shaking, his hands balled into fists and she shrank back because she knew what was coming next.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" he exploded.

Riley closed her eyes. She'd been through this way too many times to know that trying to get a word in edgewise was just going to make him angrier. He needed to let it all out before she could try and explain.

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD, YOU LEFT WITHOUT SAYING WHERE YOU WERE GOING, I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK WHEN MAYA CALLED ASKING IF YOU'D COME BACK BECAUSE YOU'D DISAPPEARED, AND FARKLE SAID THE SAME FUCKING THING!" Lucas was pacing now.

Riley squeezed her eyes tighter, and Aspen watched as Lucas threw words and anger and frustration towards her over and over again. Riley became smaller and smaller amongst the pillows until Aspen couldn't watch it any longer. "Lucas, shut up already!" Aspen stood up to face him. "Can't you see what you're doing to her? When are you going to learn that yelling at people won't solve a thing? Let her explain, for fuck's sakes!"

Lucas realized what he had been doing and looked again at Riley, finally finding a way out of the pillows she'd barricaded herself behind. His expression softened immediately. "Riley," he began.

"Don't," she said, her voice cracking as she stood up. "You're right. I was a bitch and a coward for leaving, and I totally deserved what you just said. All of it." She took her suitcase by the handle and turned away. "I told Aspen everything before you got there, if you have questions, ask her."

"Riley, please don't go," Aspen pleaded. "Lucas was just blowing off steam, he didn't mean it!"

"I'm not leaving," Riley said flatly without turning around. "I'm going to unpack, and I'd like to do it alone." She glanced back at both of them. "I get that you guys care, okay? But I am a grown woman, and I know what I'm doing. I'm not the fragile innocent girl I was back in middle school, Lucas," she snapped. "Get off my fucking back, or I'll make you sorry you ever got on."

Aspen watched Riley walk into her bedroom and slam the door shut, and once it did, she hit Lucas. Hard. "Great," she said sarcastically. "If you wanted her to up and leave again, you've done a hell of a job. Good luck getting her to ever open up to you."

Lucas sighed. "I know, I'm sorry, I was just so angry. All I saw was red."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," Aspen said, glancing seriously at him. "You said some horribly awful things to her. You're just as bad as Julian. Except he actually loves her."

"What?" Lucas asked, his eyes going wide.

But Aspen had already started for Riley's bedroom. "I'm not telling you anything until you make it up to her, Lucas Friar. This is your punishment."

* * *

Farkle stared at the monitor. Riley's eyes were bloodshot, her face was puffy, and she was sitting in a bed of tissues while Aspen tried to console her. "What did he say?" he asked tersely. Riley shook her head furiously and let out a sob, so Aspen gave the quick rundown. "He yelled at her first, then he said that she was a bitch for running away and not telling anyone that she was leaving was cowardly and she was a horrible person for making us all think she was dead," Aspen said quietly.

"You're kidding," Farkle said, eyes wide. "There is no way Lucas would say something like that to her."

"Well, he did," Riley said bitterly, blowing her nose into a tissue.

"Do you need me to come there and punch him out?" Farkle suggested.

Riley laughed weakly. "Oh, Farkle, no. Don't do that. It's already bad, I don't want to make things worse."

"Have you spoken to Julian yet?" Farkle asked.

"I was planning to after I talked to Apsen and Lucas, but I haven't left my room since he freaked out on me," Riley admitted. "I texted him saying there was a change of plans and that we'd have to meet tomorrow."

Farkle nodded. "That makes sense. If you need anything, Riley..."

"Thank you," she whispered. "But could you not tell Maya about this? She has enough to worry about, and I don't want her to freak out on Lucas as well."

Farkle hesitated.

"Please," Riley begged.

"Fine, but only because she has to hear it from you," Farkle relented. "If you don't tell her by the end of the week, I will."

Riley made a face. "New Year's all over again."

"Pretty much," Farkle said. "I'll talk to you later," he said.

"Okay," Riley said, smiling slightly. "Bye."

"Bye," he said, and the call disconnected.

Farkle leaned back in his chair, digesting this new information. He'd seen Lucas at his worst, but even he couldn't imagine Lucas saying such hurtful things to Riley. It made him angry. But for Riley's sake, he wasn't going to fly to California just to kill Lucas, as much as he'd like to. But if it happened again, he wasn't going to let Lucas get away with it.

After everything she'd been through, Riley deserved someone better. Better than Lucas, better than Julian.

Someone who wouldn't call her a coward or a bitch, someone who wouldn't alienate her from her friends. Someone who was always there.

Someone like him.

* * *

Maya couldn't even believe what she was hearing. "Riley, slow down," she pleaded. "You know Lucas didn't mean any of what he said, he was just mad!"

"It figures you'd defend him," Riley said bitterly. "You were always more understanding towards him than I ever was."

"I'm not defending him," Maya said immediately. "He was a dick, and what he said was even more dick-like. As angry as we all were, none of us lost it at you when you returned. He should've kept his cool and let you explain. Those of us who did know what you did wasn't cowardly at all. You needed a break. Haven't we all, at one point in time?"

"So what are you saying?" Riley asked, sighing.

"That once he apologizes, talk to him. Open up like you've opened up to the rest of us. Let him back into your life."

Riley leaned against the wall. "I'll try, but he hasn't apologized yet."

"It's been less than a day, give him time. He's probably giving you space and figuring out a safe way to apologize," Maya said.

"Probably." Riley glanced out the window. "Asked Kaelyn to be your maid of honor yet?" she asked.

"What?" Maya asked, taken aback.

"Sorry, was that too abrupt?" Riley asked apologetically. "I just figured, with me being gone and not in your life for so long, she was the obvious option."

Maya laughed. "I haven't actually decided. I mean, yes Kaelyn is more around me now, but you've always been my first and closest friend, Riles."

Riley smiled. "Well, there's no hard feelings on my end if you do end up choosing her. I'm just glad to be apart of the wedding. When I heard you first got engaged I wasn't sure whether I would even be invited."

Maya laughed again. "Well of course you'd get invited, but I get what you mean. I'm glad we've fixed things."

"So am I," Riley said. "Let me know if you need me back in New York for wedding plans."

"I will," Maya promised. "Gotta go, Riles."

"All right," Riley said. "I'll let you know what happens with Lucas."

"That'd be great," Maya said. "Don't be too hard on him."

"I'll try," Riley said, rolling her eyes. "Bye!"

"Bye," Maya said, hanging up the phone.

To be quite honest, Maya was leaning towards asking Riley to be her maid of honor, despite the direction their friendship had taken over the last ten years. A part of her hoped it would help make up for not being around for the accident, and maybe it'd bring them closer. They were just like two sisters who'd taken different paths only to reunite once more. But she had a feeling Kaelyn might not be so supportive about that.

She and Kaelyn had gone through so much together, and she'd been the one to really help Maya out in terms of her relationship with Josh. She'd helped Josh pick out a ring, planned the proposal, and had been around through the awful times when Maya's mother passed away.

The thought of her mother brought a lump to Maya's throat. She wished her mother would be at the wedding. Maya knew Katy would be watching down on her, protecting her forever, but it was still very hard to go through life without her mother.

Maya ran a hand through her hair, staring at her wedding binder. Everything was planned out, except her maid of honor.

And she didn't have much time to figure it out.

* * *

 **BTW: Two months til Joshaya's wedding = the end of this book.**

 **I have to end it somewhere.**

 **I'm hopping a plane tomorrow for my graduation trip so updates will be scarce for the next three weeks. I'll do my best to get in one or two updates though!**

 **Will Maya choose Riley or Kaelyn? And will Farkle tell Riley how he truly feels? Plus, what will Julian say when Riley tells him it's over? And will Riley forgive Lucas for what he said?**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **xoxoxo lauren.**


	15. Fourteen: Girl Meets Confessions

**riley talks to julian, lucas talks to riley, maya talks to kaelyn.**

 **^ a summary of this chapter.**

 **Hey all! I'm in Paris! I've been here for a week now, and it's amazing! We head to Milan in a couple of days, and then who knows what'll happen?**

 **Also, can we just talk about Ski Lodge? Like, JOSHAYA FEELS.**

 **Personally, I think Joshaya, Riarkle, and Zaydora should be endgame and Lucas can just go back to Texas because I just think both girls deserve better than him. Just my viewpoint. I really, really hope there's a fourth season, and I'm sure most of you would agree with that.**

 **OH GOSH SO FUNNY STORY: I actually ate at a restaurant here in Paris called 'La Belle Epoque' which is literally exactly what I named the restaurant I introduced Julian to the story in. Talk about coincidences! We kind of just stumbled across it and I was like WE HAVE TO EAT HERE IT'S A SIGN and I just can't even get over it haha.**

 **On with the story!**

 **Chapter outfits:** **www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=204458123**

* * *

Riley was pacing back and forth outside Tragically Magic, the bar she'd first met Julian at, when she saw him approach. She figured it was a good place to end their relationship for good, seeing as it was the location it'd started at. She studied his face as he got closer, and was surprised to see that his usual swagger was gone. In its place, a cautious optimism.

She let out a deep breath once he stopped in front of her. "Hey," she said, smiling.

"Hi," Julian replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "So, you said you made your decision."

Riley nodded. "You get right to it, don't you?"

Julian shrugged. "Riley, I love you, you know that, right?"

Riley's heart dropped like a stone. "I know," she admitted. She took a deep breath. "But I don't." She watched as Julian's face fell. "I'm really sorry, Julian. But I just don't miss you. Whatever it is I feel for you, it's not love."

Julian paused before saying, "I respect your decision, Riley, but I hope you won't ignore the feelings you and I both know you still have. If you have a change of heart, you still have my phone number."

"Can we be friends?" she asked softly.

Julian, who'd been staring at the ground, looked back up at her. "I don't know. Not right now."

"Someday?" Riley asked hopefully. "I don't want to completely cut you out of my life, Jules."

He winced at her use of her old nickname for him, something he refused others call him. She had been the first. "Maybe." He swallowed. "Bye, Riley."

"Bye," Riley said quietly, watching him nod, turn away from her, and walk away. She hated that it had to end this way, but she didn't see another way out. Hopefully, he'd find happiness with someone else.

She wasn't the one for him.

* * *

Riley returned to her and Aspen's apartment, but Aspen was teaching a summer dance boot camp at Far West Movement, and much to her dismay, Lucas was sitting on the couch watching highlights between the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams. Riley noted the teams using the score bar at the top of the highlight pack. "Uh, hey," she said, clearing her throat.

Lucas turned around, his eyes opening wide. "Riley," he said, standing up immediately.

Three days had passed since Riley's return, and she'd been very good about hiding whenever they were both in the apartment. Now, though, she figured she'd done enough hiding. "Hey," she repeated.

"Riley, I am so, so sorry I reacted the way I did," Lucas said immediately, taking a couple of steps towards her. "I went all Texas Lucas on you and you didn't deserve that."

Riley shook her head. "You're right, you should be sorry. Did Aspen tell you what happened to me? What's been happening to me for almost a year now?" Her voice was rising. "You haven't gone Texas Lucas since middle school! And you know what, you went way worse than Texas Lucas on me! Whatever reasons I might have had for leaving out of the blue, you have to trust that I am mature and old enough to take care of myself and not end up dead somewhere! And before you lost it on me, it might've been beneficial for you to at least hear me out before you chastised me like I was a five year old who ran off in a department store!" All her anger and frustration toward Lucas had been building for the last three days, and it had finally all come out. When she was done, she was sure her face was red and her chest was heaving.

She was quite satisfied to see Lucas looking as though he were a foot tall.

"I know, Riley, you're right, and you have every reason to be furious with me," Lucas said quietly. "I am so, so sorry, and I've never regretted losing my temper more."

She exhaled. "I'm not mad anymore, Lucas. I know your heart was in the right place...you just could've expressed yourself a little better," she said, smiling slightly. "Hug it out?"

"Always," Lucas said, and they did. "Thank you for not hating me."

"Hey, when people get mad it means they care," Riley said into his shoulder. "Besides," she said, pulling back to look at him, "now that this is over with, I can tell you everything, including where I was earlier today."

The door banged open, and a sweaty Aspen came in. She stopped when she saw them hugging and raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"

"Yeah, I apologized and Riley was nice enough to forgive me," Lucas explained. "We were just hugging."

"All right," Aspen said, setting her dance bag on the ground. "Riles, did you talk to Julian?"

"Yeah," Riley sighed, running a hand through her hair, "and I think I really hurt him. I feel bad, but it was for the best."

"What?" Lucas asked.

Both girls had apparently forgotten he was in the room. Riley laughed. "I guess I should start from the beginning, right Luke?"

"That would be nice," Lucas said dryly.

She and Aspen started laughing, and they retreated to the couch where Riley turned the television off and began to retell the past year of her life.

* * *

"We need to talk," Maya said when Kaelyn stepped through the door.

"Dressed to the nines, Kaelyn's boobs are practically popping through her vintage shirt, and her stretchy, high-waisted, buttoned sailor nautical shorts accent her ass perfectly," James announced as he followed Kaelyn in. "Including her white peep toe, leather look, ankle strap, flat sandals, she looks ready to take on Paris for Fashion Week."

"What?" Maya asked, confused.

"He's doing some announcing at my show at the New York Fashion Week," Kaelyn explained. "He's practicing."

Maya nodded. "No offense, James, but I really don't think you can compliment on the models' racks and asses when they're on the catwalk."

"Relax, Sassy Pants," James said, waving a hand. "I will not be doing that, I can assure you. I'll be too busy drooling all over Kaelyn's fabulous designs."

"Do not make me regret asking you to be my announcer," Kaelyn growled, shoving him. "Don't you have better things to do? Get out of here," she said, bumping his hip with her own.

"Yeah, all right, Fashion Bitch," James sighed loudly. "I'll be in your room, wiping my hurt feelings on your fabrics and sewing them together."

Kaelyn's eyes flared. "I swear, James, if you touch my fabrics, you will not live to announce at my fashion show."

James held his arms up in defeat. "Girl, you really are a Fashion Bitch. I'll just be in your room, minding my own business and pretending not to eavesdrop." He sauntered off.

Maya giggled. "He gets more ridiculous every day. Did he really show up to today's meeting in that suit?"

"He sure did," Kaelyn groaned, flopping on the couch next to Maya. "All my colleagues thought he was insane, and then they fell in love with his charm. He really needs to find a boyfriend who'll tame him. The last one was so bad, he went out of control and sequined my entire office."

The girls laughed for a bit before quieting down. "You said we needed to talk?" Kaelyn asked.

"Yeah," Maya sighed. "You mentioned a couple of months ago that you would be fine if I asked Riley to be my maid of honor, right?"

Kaelyn pursed her lips. "I did say that."

"Well, Riley said she would be fine if I asked you to be my maid of honor," Maya explained. "So if you'd like to change your response from earlier, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Kaelyn laughed. "I'd really love to be your maid of honor, Maya, and of course I'd be a little upset if you pick Riley, but I'll get over it. Besides, I'd get revenge by making James MC your wedding."

"Oh my god," Maya said, sitting upright. "What if you and James co-MC our wedding?"

Kaelyn's eyes lit up. "Twinkly Twit!" she hollered, and her bedroom door was thrown open by an obviously-eavesdropping James. "How would you like to co-MC Maya's wedding with me?"

James squealed - he really did - and Maya almost dissolved into laughter. "I'll take that as a yes?" she asked, amidst the laughter.

"Girl, honey, Sassy Pants, you will not know what hit you. Also, can I wear this?" he asked, gesturing to his hot pink, sequined suit.

Maya shook her head. "Absolutely not, I can't have you blinding all the guests. Kaelyn, please make sure he's not wearing anything that will make someone violently ill."

"Of course, and on that note, I would love to be your MC," Kaelyn said. "Why don't you call Riley and give her the good news?"

Maya gave Kaelyn a hug, and they were soon joined by an ecstatic James. "Fashion Bitch, I totally take offense to the name you called me," he said, sniffing as he pulled away.

"Oh, grow a pair already," Kaelyn scoffed. "You are twinkly, and a twit. It just works."

Leaving them to argue about a proper nickname for James, Maya took refuge in her bedroom for some quiet and called Riley. "Hey, Princess Dancing Sunshine," she said, grinning, when Riley picked up the phone. "Or should I call you my maid of honor?"

Riley squealed through the phone. "Really?"

"Really," Maya confirmed. "I've got Kaelyn on board for an MC, although I'll have to convince Josh that letting James co-MC with her is not actually as bad an idea as it seems."

"Who's James?" Riley asked.

"A very flamboyant, wild child," Maya said. "He's one of the first friends I met at RISD. You'd love him, he's just like you."

"You're not trying to set me up with him, are you?" Riley asked suspiciously.

Maya couldn't help but laugh. "Oh god no, besides, you're definitely not his type. He's gay, Riley."

"Ah, all right," Riley said. "My bad."

"Don't, it's not like you could've known," Maya said.

"I guess," Riley said. "By the way, I ended things with Julian. He looked really upset when he walked away."

"Just give him some time," Maya advised. "You really bruised the poor man's ego."

"The weird thing is, that when he came up to me, he didn't seem like his usual self," Riley mused. "He wasn't arrogant...he was worried. Like he was going to really lose me for good."

"Maybe he's finally growing up," Maya said.

"If it took me dumping him for him to grow the fuck up, he's an idiot and needs to get over himself," Riley groaned.

"Or, you were the love of his life up until this point," Maya countered, "and he's a little lost right now. I mean, he pursued you for so long after things ended. If you're only in it for the sex, Riley, you really don't keep going that long. He felt something, he loves you, he wanted to be with you."

"Are you saying that I should've given him another chance?" Riley asked hesitantly.

"Not if you don't love him back," Maya said. "And you don't, right?"

Riley didn't respond for a moment. "I don't know how I feel about him."

"That's not good," Maya said. "Maybe you should've taken him back and seen where the relationship went."

"Please don't put that doubt back," Riley begged. "Do you know how much strife I went through trying to figure this out?"

"Sorry," Maya apologized. "So, did Lucas apologize yet?"

"Yeah, he did, this morning actually," Riley said. "Once he apologized, he and I sat down with Aspen and I told him everything. Hopefully he doesn't flip out at me ever again, because I lost it at him when he apologized."

"You lost your mind? I'm so impressed," Maya gushed.

Riley laughed. "I know, your little girl's all grown up, right?"

* * *

 **Yes, Riley, you go! All right, so a lot happened, and I think for the matter of this story, the Riley-Julian storyline is pretty much over. I know this chapter is titled Girl Meets Confessions and so you might think that Farkle would confess how he felt about Riley, but I want to rebuild their relationship a little more before Farkle tells her the truth.**

 **It might even take up until Joshaya's wedding.**

 **Also, I'm in the process of creating a new story. It's going to be about Riley drifting away from the Clique Six and carving a new path to find herself. I've always wanted to right a story about Riley and Josh's niece-uncle relationship, and with what went down in Ski Lodge, I think I have enough information on their relationship to finally write one.**

 **The preface is up so go to my profile to read it!**

 **XOXO, Lauren.**


	16. Fifteen: Girl Meets We're Almost There

**Chapter outfits! w** **ww dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=204767921**

Riley returned to New York to help Maya out with the wedding preparations, and she wouldn't be going back to Los Angeles until after the wedding. Lucas, Aspen, Charlie, and Jolie wouldn't be flying to the Big Apple until closer to the wedding, as Jolie would have to close the studio during the summer as a result and neither she nor Aspen were needed there so soon. Lucas was part of the wedding party, but it wasn't necessary that he be there for the preparations until a week before the actual wedding.

But when Riley arrived at the venue that Maya and Josh had picked out for their wedding, she was surprised to see Farkle there, chatting with them. "Hey!" she called, hurrying over to them. "Farkle, what are you doing here?"

He smiled. "Just stopped by. I wasn't really doing anything important, anyways," he added.

Riley gave Maya and Josh hugs, and turned to Kaelyn, who was, of course, dressed to impress. She wore a gorgeous red tie top and a black skirt with a sheer mesh around it. Riley had a sneaking suspicion it was one of Kaelyn's own designs. "It's good to see you again," she said, smiling and pulling Kaelyn into a hug. "And I love your outfit! Did you make the skirt yourself?"

"You too! And yeah, I did," Kaelyn admitted. "In third year at RISD, for one of my final projects in design. This is one of the more recent remakes, because the one I actually submitted for that project, the first time I tried to wash it, well let's just say it came out of the dryer in pieces," she said, wincing.

Riley laughed. "Well, it looks amazing."

"Thanks! I really love your top," she added. "The mint looks great on you, and you'll be a great maid of honor," Kaelyn added, winking.

"Thanks! But you'll be an even better MC," Riley told her, which was true. Kaelyn had been the one person who'd really seen Josh and Maya's relationship grow over the last ten years, so even though Riley had known both of them all her lives, Kaelyn was the perfect person to talk about their actual romantic relationship.

"Co-MC," the man beside Kaelyn corrected. Kaelyn swatted him with her purse.

"James?" Riley asked, holding her hand out. "Maya's told me about you," she said with a smile.

"It's absolutely wonderful to finally meet the one and only Riley Matthews," he gushed. "I do hope you'll forgive my outfit, it's not usually what I'd prefer to wear, but Kaelyn threatened me with bodily harm unless she let me dress her for today."

"Oh?" Riley asked, still smiling. "What was your preferred item of clothing for today?"

"I wanted to wear a sequined suit jacket and matching dress pants, with a lime green tie," he said mournfully, plucking at his much more toned-down maroon blazer. "This is _so_ not me."

Riley laughed.

"All right," Maya said hastily. "So you all need to be here because we're trying to map out the amount of tables we can fit in here, and then we have to go over the seating plan."

"Riley, you can take care of our families, both of them," Josh added. "Kaelyn and Josh, you guys can help out with our university friends, and Farkle, you can help out with Maya's friends from high school and middle school."

"So, my ex-girlfriend and her husband?" Farkle asked, wincing.

Maya had the decency to look embarrassed. "Not just them, but yeah, I suppose they'd fall into that category," she said quickly. "Sarah, Yindra, Wyatt, Dave, Yoby, the usual crowd."

"Did Yoby RSVP?" Riley asked, interested. "I heard Yogi was working in Bali."

"Yeah, Darby sent an RSVP by snail mail," Maya giggled. "She apologized but they didn't have cell service or internet."

They worked on the seating plan for nearly three hours. So many of Maya and Josh's university friends had issues with at least three other people that were so bad, they couldn't possibly be seated in the same vicinity as the other. Riley and Farkle had the easier job. They put all of Maya and Josh's old schoolmates in the same tables, as well as families. Riley's heart sank slightly when she realized her uncle Shawn wouldn't have Katy to sit with. But at least he could walk Maya down the aisle. She put him at the table with her uncle Eric, her parents and Auggie, her grandparents, and Farkle's parents. That would definitely be an interesting table to sit at.

"Maya," Riley said, pulling her friend aside for a brief moment. "Have you thought about what you wanted to do for your mom yet?"

Maya swallowed. "I was thinking about a memorial table? But the thing is, it was so long ago..." her throat closed.

"Just because it was years ago doesn't mean you can't still honor her memory," Riley said gently. "And it's your wedding. If you want do to that, so that a part of her is at the wedding, I say go for it."

"Thanks," Maya whispered, giving Riley a hug. "I'm really glad we're friends again."

"Me too," Riley admitted.

* * *

After the seating plan was done, James took everyone out for dinner at a restaurant in Soho called Fresh. He explained that it was where he met his first boyfriend, but once they broke up, it didn't stop him from coming. Apparently they had the best sushi in the entire state.

Riley ended up in between Maya and Farkle, just like old times. Her first friends. "How long are you in New York for?" Farkle asked her.

"Until after the wedding," Riley replied, scanning the menu.

Farkle hesitated. That meant he had a whole two months to deal with the fallout if he told Riley how he felt now. He was better off telling her closer to the wedding, so at least if she didn't feel the same way, she could go back to California and he could avoid her more easily. "Oh, okay. That makes sense."

Riley gave him a look. "Farkle are you all right? You seem a little, uh, preoccupied."

"I'm fine," he reassured her. _I'm really not,_ he thought.

"All right, but if there's anything you need to talk about, or need help with, I'm here," Riley whispered, returning her attention to her menu.

"Thanks," he said.

The conversation quickly turned to stories about Maya and Josh throughout university. Riley was thoroughly horrified to learn that one of Maya's professors had found her and Josh together in one of the art studios after hours. And by together, they were pretty much having sex. "You guys are animals," she said in playful disgust.

"It was horrible," Maya groaned. "I couldn't look her in the eye for months!"

"It was awesome!" Kaelyn gasped, dying for air. She had tears running down her face. "I'll never forget the look on Maya's face when she came back to the apartment! The extreme walk of shame."

"Oh, Fashion Bitch, you really shouldn't be razzing Maya," James said, smirking. "Remember that time in second year you were found naked and eagle-spread on your professor's desk? You really were hammered the night before, but you were so passed out when people found you that we thought you were dead."

It was Maya's turn to laugh until she cried. "I can't believe you've never told me about that!" she cried to James. "How did you end up there?" she asked Kaelyn.

"How am I supposed to know?" Kaelyn said, rolling her eyes. "I couldn't even remember what happened once I woke up, then!"

"Oh, in high school, Riley had a boyfriend named Blake," Maya began.

Riley's eyes flew out of her skull. "Maya! Don't you dare!" She knew _exactly_ what story Maya was thinking about.

"No, no, sugar plum, Maya's started and she's gonna finish," James told her.

Riley groaned and slid down in her chair.

"I'm not so sure, as Riley's uncle, that I want to hear this," Josh said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, is this the time when Mr. Matthews found them?" Farkle asked Maya.

Riley let out a squeal and shoved both of them.

"No, but that was a great one too!" Maya turned to Kaelyn and James. "Okay, so after Riley and Blake had slept with each other for the first time, they overslept, and her dad went to go wake her up and found them both in the bed, naked, of course." Riley buried her head in her arms and covered her ears, mortified. "I've never seen Matthews scream so loud."

The entire table, including Josh, burst out laughing. Riley poked her head up. "He told Blake to put some clothes on and then proceeded to chase him around the house screaming at him," she sighed. "I was so sure he would never want to see me again."

"That's a riot," Kaelyn said, grinning.

"But what's the story you were planning to tell?" James questioned.

"Maya Penelope Hart, I swear if you tell this story I will tell everyone the story of how I walked in on you and Lucas," Riley threatened.

Maya blanched and Josh's mouth fell open. "You never walked in on us?" Maya said uncertainly.

"Oh, I just didn't tell you guys," Riley said, crossing her arms triumphantly. "I closed the door quietly and tried to wash my eyes out with bleach."

Everyone started laughing, although Josh looked at Maya reproachfully. "What?" Maya asked, throwing her hands up. "We were dating at the time, you and I didn't start dating until senior year, remember Boing?"

"Right, although I distinctly remember thinking I was your first," he muttered.

"You were, Lucas and I hadn't gotten that far," Maya mumbled.

James, Kaelyn, and Riley were in hysterics. Farkle watched the scene unfold in front of him with amusement. It was good to have Riley back in town. Now, he just had to figure out a way to get Riley to fall for him before the wedding. He had a lot of work to do.

* * *

 **Thoughts?**

 **BTW, my new fic, All We Ever Wanted, is up! Go check it out!**

 **Lauren.**


	17. Sixteen: Girl Meets Growth

**MAJOR RIARKLE!**

 **Four more chapters after this, Maya's bachelorette party, the Clique Six reunion, Maya's wedding, and the final chapter to tie things together. I can't believe we're almost at the end!**

 **xoxo to anyone who's been following this story for the last year, especially throughout my six month hiatus.**

 **Lauren.**

* * *

It had been Riley's idea to go for a walk in Central Park. Unfortunately, Josh had work and Maya was still trying to put together the final touches on the wedding plans. Kaelyn and James had politely declined so they could work on their MC speech. Which left her with Farkle.

That was fine, because Riley loved Farkle's company. They walked through Central Park in complete silence until they passed an ice cream stand. "Do you want one?" Riley asked Farkle quietly, taking out her wallet.

He stopped her, because it was the gentlemanly thing to do. "Let me, Riles."

"Farkle, if you don't want one, why would you pay for mine?" Riley asked, smiling.

"What if I do want one?" Farkle asked in response.

"Do you actually?" Riley asked curiously.

Farkle smiled and turned to the vendor. "Two cones, one vanilla, one cotton candy."

Riley's mouth fell open. "You still remember."

"Of course I do, Riley," Farkle said, grinning. "You wanted to be called Cotton Candy Face in middle school."

Riley covered her face in mock shame. "What a terrible idea that would've been. Eaten alive in high school with a nickname of a five year old."

They laughed, and Farkle paid for the cones. They sat down on a bench adjacent to the stand. "Ready for Maya's wedding?" he asked.

"I can't believe she's getting married," Riley admitted. "It's kind of wild."

"And she's going to be your aunt!" Farkle said.

"I know, that's going to be so weird," Riley giggled.

Silence fell as they both ate their ice creams. Riley said, "Are you seeing anyone?" She wasn't sure why she asked that, but it had been on her mind lately.

"No," Farkle admitted. "You?"

"Well, the whole Julian situation only went down a couple of weeks ago," Riley said, shrugging. "And I've been busy with Jolie's studio and Maya's wedding. My social life is kind of dead, to be quite honest. When do you go back to Berlin?"

"My dad seems to have a good hold of the situation there, so not until he needs me." Farkle stared off. "I've been thinking about selling the corporation and going off on this crazy journey. But it'd be stupid to do alone."

"What kind of journey?" Riley asked, interested.

"I don't know, I'd just travel the world and enjoy life day by day. I hate being stuck in my office all day long, which is why I've been avoiding work for so long. I finally have an excuse to leave." Farkle sighed. "I guess the lavish lifestyle just isn't mine. Not if there's office work involved."

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Riley admitted. "I'd come join you if I didn't have responsibilities to FWM. That's what Yogi and Darby did after university, right? They traveled around the world until Yogi found work in Indonesia."

"Or was it Malaysia?" Farkle asked.

"I can't remember what Maya said," Riley said, shrugging. "That must be fun, though. See the world with the person you love the most in the entire world?"

"Yeah, well Yogi and Darby are lucky," Farkle said. "Not all of us can find that person just walking down the halls next to each other one day."

Riley laughed. "That was a weird day."

"Yeah, and your dad tried to lock Lucas out of the classroom."

"And you kissed Maya."

"And you kissed Lucas."

"And look at all that's changed," Riley said. "We've come so far, haven't we."

"We really have," Farkle agreed. "Look at us. We've pretty much taken on the world."

"You're a famous corporation owner, Lucas is an ex-Marine and nationally-known veterinarian, Maya's an up-and-coming artist, and I'm a professional choreographer," Riley rattled off. "Izzy is one of NASA's top scientists, and Zay, well..." she trailed off, wincing as she took in the look on Farkle's face. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Farkle sighed.

"It won't be if you don't talk about this, Farkle. They're coming to town next week."

"I thought we were the perfect couple, and it turns out we weren't. There's nothing more to talk about."

Riley bit her lip. "Farkle, that's not it. Of course things didn't work out, but she did leave you for one of your closest friends. That has to hurt. I know, because I was in your situation when Lucas left me for Maya...of course, we did get back together again briefly. But we didn't work. He met Aspen, and now they're happy."

"And where are you?" Farkle asked bitterly.

Riley recoiled.

"Sorry," Farkle said immediately. "I, just ignore what I said."

"No, it's true," Riley sighed, looking up at the sky. "But that doesn't mean it's not out there."

Farkle almost said it, right there. Four simple words. _Riley, I like you._ But he didn't. "I'm sure it is, Riley. They say there's someone out there for everyone."

"Do you still love her?" Riley asked abruptly. "Smackle."

"Of course I do," Farkle said. "I wished I didn't. It would hurt a lot less."

"It'll get easier."

"Are you sure?" Farkle looked at Riley.

"It will. Do you know how much I hated Aspen the first time Lucas laid eyes on her? We'd been best friends for three months before I introduced him to her, and right away I could tell that he liked her a lot more than he liked me. And I couldn't, no, I didn't want to believe it. But they were dating within a year and I was left heartbroken and alone. Maybe that's why I let Julian in. I wanted to hurt my friends as much as they'd hurt me." Riley looked down. "Does that make me a bad person?"

Farkle didn't answer. "How did you get over it though?"

"I met Julian. I convinced myself that there was someone out there for me, and I thought it was him. I guess I was wrong."

"So you're saying I have to meet new people."

"I'm telling you not to cut yourself off from the world just because one girl broke your heart. There are thousands of girls who would love to be your girlfriend, Farkle," Riley said honestly. "And that's not including the ones that would be after your money."

"Well, I'd try to avoid those ones," Farkle said wryly.

Riley laughed. "That would make sense, yeah." She finished the last of her ice cream. "Remember when you asked Maya and I to never let you not know what love feels like? This is me telling you to keep your heart open. You're going to get hurt, but you're also going to meet the one person that's yours forever. And you'll have learned enough lessons by then to never let her go."

 _It's you, Riley,_ Farkle desperately wanted to say. Something always held him back.

She stood up, holding out a hand. "Ready to keep walking?"

* * *

Riley sat alone in her old bedroom, flipping through old yearbooks. Her and Blake, her and Maya, her and Lucas, her and Farkle. Her favourite picture was in their junior yearbook, of her and Farkle holding up a trophy for first prize at the New York Science Fair.

Even when Maya was busy, Farkle had always been there for her. Was it possible that she liked him? A smile grew slowly as she thought about it, digested the thought, and swallowed it. She did like him. She frowned. Did he like her? He'd always loved her, from the moment they first met, but that was shared love between her and Maya.

Although, he had been her (begrudgingly) first kiss. It had mostly been on the chin, too. But a kiss was a kiss, according to Maya. She still considered her first real kiss to be with Lucas on the subway.

But he'd always been there for her, in middle school, in high school, and even beyond. They'd fallen off a bit in the real world, but certain events and old friends had brought them back together again.

Was it possible that Farkle was her forever?

Was it possible that the one person who could make her the happiest person in the world had been right next to her the entire time, and she hadn't realized it?

She really needed to talk to Maya. How could she possibly like Farkle Minkus?

Then again, how could she not?

* * *

 **Everything's coming together!**

 **Let me know what you think! - Lauren.**


	18. Seventeen: Girl Meets the Bachelorette

**Chapter outfits: www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=205017808**

* * *

Maya stared at herself in the mirror. "Whoever came up with the idea that the bride-to-be should wear white at her bachelorette party is an idiot."

"It's not a rule, it's our rule for you," Kaelyn said, coming up to the mirror. "Besides, the dress looks gorgeous on you. I should know, I made it specifically for today."

"She's not wrong, Maya, you look fabulous," Riley called from the gifts table, where she was carefully stacking giftbags on top of each other and hoping they wouldn't fall.

"Come on, Future Mrs. Matthews, you need to greet your guests," Kaelyn said, gently tugging Maya away from the mirror and bringing her to the seating area.

Riley had given Kaelyn full freedom to do whatever theme she'd wanted for Maya's bachelorette party, and so the theme was asymmetric. The dress code was asymmetric, and all the decorations were asymmetric as well. Even the cake was a weird shape, but Riley thought it was perfect. Maya was definitely different, which meant she had to have a different bachelorette party, and that included the theme. Riley smoothed the hem of her blue and white dress. She wasn't sure she had anything in her closet that would fit the theme, but Kaelyn hadn't said anything about the dress she was wearing, so she figured she was in the clear.

Kaelyn's dress, however, was perfect for today's event. It had two skirts that draped in opposite directions, and the entire ensemble screamed asymmetric in Riley's opinion. She even managed to find shoes the exact same colour as the skirt of her dress.

"Okay, can I have everyone's attention?" Riley called, and every eye on the room turned to her. "I'd like to welcome you all to Miss Maya Penelope Hart's bachelorette party!" Applause sounded. "Now, I'd like to welcome our bride-to-be, Maya!"

Maya and Kaelyn walked in together. Kaelyn was filling in the role of Maya's mother, who'd always told her she wanted to be at her daughter's bachelorette party. "Thanks for coming," Maya said, smiling. "I really didn't expect so many of you."

"Maya, there are six of us," Annette deadpanned, and everyone laughed.

"Hey, I really didn't expect this many of you," Maya insisted.

"All right, so the first game we're going to play is who knows the couple best," Riley said. "I can't play this because Maya is my childhood friend and the groom is my uncle, so I'll be asking the questions," Riley added. More giggling broke out. She picked up the flashcards on the table and read off the first question: "Where was Maya and Josh's first date?"

Kaelyn's hand shot up in the air, and everyone groaned. "Okay, new rule, Kaelyn can't answer until someone else has tried," Maya suggested.

Annette said, "Fifth Avenue. Maya wanted to go shopping."

Everyone laughed. "Technically true," Riley said, her eyes dropping to Maya, "although somebody wrote the Mount Sun Lodge as the answer."

"What?" Maya asked, holding her hands up.

"Okay, next question," Riley said, ignoring her friend. "What college did Maya crash a party at?"

"NYU!" Everyone shouted, and Maya went beet red.

"What is Maya's nickname for Josh?" Kaelyn asked, taking the next question card.

"Uncle Boing," Isadora said immediately.

Riley handed the next few questions to Kaelyn. She wasn't sure how to receive Izzy's appearance here. On one hand, she was one of Riley's closest friends, but she'd hurt Farkle deeply by leaving him for Zay. And she'd seen firsthand just how hard Farkle was still taking it. But at the same time, she was glad Izzy was here, because that way the entire Clique Six could get together for dinner the following night. The night before Maya's wedding.

"Oh, I've got a question I don't actually know the answer to," Hannah Merkle said. "Where did Maya and Josh first meet?"

Everyone looked at Maya. "Well, I met him at Riley's house, but he was like eight and we were five, so there weren't any kind of romantic feelings then," Maya admitted. "He was nice enough to play with us, but I couldn't understand how he was Riley's uncle until we were a little older. And then we met again at Riley's holiday party, like, ten years later. He lived in Philadelphia, so he didn't really come up to New York a lot. If he did, I wasn't always there."

The party went off without a hitch. Refreshments were served soon after, and then Maya opened her gifts, and then they did shots, and were all pretty buzzed afterwards. But Riley was waiting until the end of the party, because she had to talk to Maya about her feelings for Farkle, and she didn't want to ruin Maya's day with her own problems.

* * *

Farkle paced back and forth in front of Lucas and Josh. Josh's bachelor party had been great, but now it was over, and he was lamenting over the fact that he'd had several opportunities to tell Riley that he loved her and yet, he didn't.

"Farkle, man, you need to breathe," Lucas groaned.

"I can't!" Farkle cried. "I thought about it so many times! I just couldn't tell her! What if she doesn't feel the same way? I feel like I'm back in high school again? And if she doesn't, it'll ruin our entire friendship and she'll never want to speak to me every again."

"You really can't breathe, can you," Josh observed. "If you really want something, you go get it, no matter how scary or life-threatening it seems."

"So you're saying I should just tell her."

"Exactly," Lucas said, rolling his eyes. "You and Riley are perfect for each other, just go for it. The worst thing she could do is say no, and then if she does, you can just fly to Berlin and never come back!"

"That's really reassuring," Farkle muttered, finally taking a seat on the couch. "And I thought you were my friend."

"Farkle. She likes you. Or she doesn't. There's really no other answer." Josh felt bad for him, but he was bringing all upon himself. "But you only have a couple of days before Riley goes back to Los Angeles. You either tell her before the end of the wedding, or you spend another thirty years not knowing if you'll have another chance to tell her."

Farkle put his head in his hands. "I just don't want to hurt her."

"If she says no, the only person who'll end up hurt is you," Lucas said gently.

Farkle didn't answer. He'd been hurt enough by Izzy. If Riley turned him down, he didn't think he would ever be able to come back from that. "I guess you're right."

"You're in your own way, Farkle. If you want this, if you want her, you have to go and get her." Farkle barely heard Lucas's words. He was already formulating a plan in his mind. The guys were right. He was either going to do it, or he wasn't.

If things went sour, at least he wouldn't regret trying.

* * *

 **This chapter and the next one (the reunion) are gonna be really filler-ish chapters, so I'm sorry if they seem so short!**

 **If you're interested in longer chapters, might I suggest my other fic, All We Ever Wanted?**

 **What do you all think?**

 **XOXO**

 **Lauren.**


	19. Eighteen: Girl Meets Reunited At Last

**Chapter outfits:** **www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=205173470**

* * *

Maya had been planning this for months, but the day was finally almost here. She couldn't believe that she was going to marry Josh in less than twenty-four hours. She would finally be a part of a family she'd always wished she could be part of. And, she would technically be Matthews' sister. She couldn't wait to tease the hell out of him for that. But first, she'd asked all of the Clique Six to meet her in Topanga's. They hadn't all been in the same room since high school graduation. She hadn't seen Zay since her second year at RISD when he came up for a visit, nor had she seen Lucas since the Art Factory. She was the first one at Topanga's, having ordered a special lunch for the six of them to enjoy. Riley's mom had been kind enough to help out with catering, since she wasn't much of a cook herself. Once Maya's mother had passed away, Topanga had hired a couple of new waitresses to help out and bake at the store, since she couldn't be there all the time.

"Hey, Maya," Riley said, bounding into the cafe with Farkle. "Long time no see," she joked.

Maya laughed and gave her oldest friend a hug. "Same to you," she said, smiling. She gave Farkle a hug next.

"Is it too soon to say congratulations?" Farkle asked. "You're the first of the three of us to get married."

"The original three," Riley said softly. "Time flies, huh?"

"Nice outfit," Maya observed, staring at Riley. "You look like a Smurf."

Riley threw her hands up. "That's what Farkle said too." Farkle gave Maya a high-five. "But I like it, so that's all that matters."

Lucas stepped in through the door. "Somebody order a Californian Texan?"

"I don't think that's a thing," Riley told him, crossing her arms.

Maya crossed the room to give him a hug. "Good to see you, Ranger Rick."

"Likewise, Short-Stack. Glad to see you've grown up and are ready to join us married folk," he added with a wink.

Farkle and Riley exchanged an awkward glance and looked away. They were the only ones not married yet, of their original friend group. But things got tense when Izzy and Zay stepped in the door, thankfully not arm in arm. Izzy looked perfectly preppy in her collared dress and sensible yet stylish heels. "Izzy, Zay!" Maya said, giving them both hugs. "How's Texas?"

"Great," Zay said. "It's nice to be back, though."

Riley watched Maya interact with both of them, and looked to Farkle with worry. She didn't want him to feel out of place, or awkward. He managed a half-smile at her, as if to say, 'I'll be fine, maybe in a little bit.'

Izzy stepped up to Farkle and opened up her arms. "For old times' sake?" she asked hopefully.

Farkle, to everyone's relief, nodded and gave his ex-girlfriend a hug. "How's NASA?"

"Wonderful, and I'm actually staying in New York for a month," she told everyone. "I've been invited to teach a lecture at New York City Center for Space Science Education."

"Oh, Izzy, that's amazing!" Maya said, beaming. "Let's all take a seat and we can catch everyone up on our lives."

Neither Riley or Farkle had anything relatively interesting to share about their personal lives, as Riley didn't want to dredge up Julian, and Farkle wasn't doing anything new at his corporation. He'd hardly spent any time there since Riley had returned to New York.

Lucas talked about a couple of pets he'd treated at his clinic, and Zay talked about how the marines had been difficult and he'd decided to leave. He currently worked the rodeo fair that happened every year, the same one the gang had gone down to watch Lucas ride Tombstone in, many years ago.

Maya had news of her own to share. "I've been invited to do a gallery showing in a bunch of cities in Spain, France, and Italy," she said happily. "So that's where Josh and I will be going on our honeymoon. The Art Factory really opened a lot of doors for me, so thank you so much for recommending me, Riley."

"Peaches, I'm so proud of you," Riley gushed. "That's so awesome! And how long are you gone for?"

"Four months, I think," Maya said. "A month in Spain, a month in France, and then two months in Italy. I think we do a gallery in almost every city in Italy. And Josh was perfectly happy with taking a couple of months off of work to support me. Plus, the plane tickets were free, so he couldn't resist."

Everyone laughed.

"What about you, Riley?" Zay asked. "Anything new going on?"

Riley shrugged. "A lot's happened since the Art Factory, but I haven't really had anything to share. I'm still choreographing in California, but I'm judging at a couple of competitions next spring, so that'll be fun, I guess. I've never done it, so I'm a bit nervous."

"Where are the competitions?" Lucas asked. "Aspen never mentioned anything."

"Oh, I haven't told anyone," Riley admitted. "Things have been a little hectic lately. But there's a couple of competitions on the east coast here in New York, in Pittsburgh, Orlando, and then a few more in Vegas, California, and Arizona. I'm hoping to teach a couple of masterclasses as well."

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Maya admitted.

Riley raised an eyebrow. "As much fun as travelling Europe?"

"Okay, but still," Maya said. "It's great that you haven't let the accident stop you from doing what you love."

Riley smiled, because Maya was right. Things had turned out extremely well for her since the accident. She might not be able to dance anymore, but she could share her love of the sport with others and inspire younger boys and girls to follow in her footsteps. That no dream was impossible. That life might throw curveballs at you, but they were manageable and even preventable.

The world knew what it was doing, in the end. Everyone would end up where they were meant to be. And Riley would be forever grateful that no matter how far apart the six of them were, they could always be brought back together, and nothing would've changed.

"So how is tomorrow going to work?" Izzy asked Maya.

"Well, the three of us are going to wake up at the crack of dawn to get ready," Maya said. "The ceremony should start at around eleven, and then we leave for pictures, and then it's the reception. And the rest you already know."

"Are you excited? Nervous? Both?" Farkle asked her.

"I've wanted this for so long that I really can't believe it's happening," Maya admitted. "I'm gonna be your aunt," she told Riley.

"You might be, but you've always been my sister," Riley told her.

"I think your dad is going to have some trouble with accepting that I'll be his sister-in-law."

"I actually think he's made peace with it," Riley revealed, which was met with many surprised and skeptical looks. She laughed. "He was talking to my mom yesterday about how excited he was that he's finally going to be related to Shawn."

"Please," Maya scoffed. "Those two have been married since they were five years old. They're already family."

Everyone laughed again. There was some awkward tension at the beginning, but that had disappeared when the conversations had started rolling. Big changes were in store, but no matter what the fallout might be, Maya and Riley knew they could always count on each other to be there.

And that was all you could really ask for, with friends.

"Now," Maya said, gesturing to the pastries in front of them. "Who's hungry?"

* * *

After the reunion, Farkle held Riley back and let the others leave. He'd made up his mind that he was going to tell Riley how he felt. He saw Lucas give him an encouraging smile before he left. "What's up?" Riley asked.

Farkle hesitated.

"I'm glad you asked me to stay, because I have to ask you something," Riley admitted. "I saw how you were looking at Izzy the entire afternoon."

Farkle raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Do you still like her?" Riley asked quietly. "Because it's okay if you do. I mean, they say you never really get over your first love, right?"

 _Riley, you were my first love,_ Farkle wanted to scream. But instead, he said, "I'm fine with Zay and Izzy being together."

"You might be, but you still like her," Riley said. "It's written all over your face when you look at her."

Farkle thought about it. He might still have feelings for Isadora, but he had stronger feelings for the brunette standing in front of him. "Riley, I think you're mistaken, I really don't like Izzy."

"Maybe you don't think you do, but I see it," Riley said, shrugging. "I just think maybe you should talk to her before the wedding tomorrow."

"Things weren't awkward," Farkle said. "I don't see why we have to. There's nothing to talk about."

Riley bit her lip. "I like you, Farkle. More than I thought I did, and more than a friend. But I can't jump into a relationship with a guy who still has feelings for his old flame."

Farkle couldn't even believe what he just heard. What she'd just said. "Riley," he began, but she cut him off.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Farkle," Riley said sadly. "Bye." She turned and left, leaving him stunned and unsure of what to do next. How could he convince Riley that he wanted to be with her, and not Izzy, when she was so obviously convinced otherwise?

He had twenty four hours, otherwise Riley was going to hop on a plane to Los Angeles and never come back to him again.

* * *

 **Everything's come full circle.**

 **Who's excited for the Joshaya wedding?**

 **And will Riarkle prevail?**

 **Let me know what you think! Two chapters left!**

 **Lauren.**


	20. Nineteen: Girl Meets Someday

**Writing both of my fanfics at the same time has been really difficult because Riley is a completely different person in AWEW than in TSOAU. So after I make an update it takes me about ten minutes to jump into the other Riley's headspace, let alone the rest of the story. It's a difficult process, but I think I make it work.**

 **This is the second-to-last update, although the official last chapter. I like to think of the next chapter as a closing epilogue.**

 **Do Joshaya fans understand where the chapter title comes from? Hmmm? *winks* (I'm lame I'm sorry of course you get the reference.)**

 **I really, really hope you like this one! It's a really detailed chapter about Joshaya's wedding just for you guys!**

 **You already have the wedding outfits from the GM Wedding Bells chapter, so I'm not going to repost it. But I'm going to add hairstyles to this chapter! Keep in mind that the hairstyles for each girl don't reflect their actual hair colours.**

 **www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=205469511**

 **XO.**

* * *

Maya didn't sleep the entire night before her wedding. Riley, on the other hand, was out before she could even say Riley's name. She tossed and turned for hours, finally accepting that she wasn't going to sleep through the night. She twisted her engagement ring so many times her left finger was so sore. At one point she'd taken it off and started playing catch with it.

It wasn't a question of whether or not she was ready for marriage. She loved Josh with all her heart and wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with him. There wasn't even a doubt in her mind. She just couldn't sleep.

Now, it was ten in the morning and everyone was running around. She was currently doing hair and makeup, and Riley was making sure everything was in order for the reception. Eric had kindly volunteered to be the minister. Maya genuinely hoped she wouldn't regret agreeing to let him marry her and Josh.

"Yes, that's right," Riley said, a few feet away from Maya. Her hair and makeup was already done. "All right, fantastic. Thank you very much." Riley hung up. "The venue is set for tonight." She took a seat. "Are you ready?"

Maya took a deep breath. "I am," she admitted. "I'm ready. I've been ready for so long now."

Riley smiled. "I know you'll officially be my aunt, Maya, but you'll always be my sister."

The two of them exchanged hugs as Maya finished with her hair and makeup. She stood up and headed for the giant bag that held her dress in it, unzipping it. The gentle tulle of her dress escaped from the opening. Maya's fingers danced across the silk fabric, a feeling of joy rushing quickly through her. She was suddenly dizzy.

"Need help?" Kaelyn asked, having come up beside her. Maya nodded and together, they took the dress out of the bag and carried it to the dressing room. Kaelyn helped Maya get into the giant dress, the skirt of it almost swallowing the petite woman. Kaelyn laughed. "Don't you think you should've chosen something less poufy?"

Maya shrugged as Kaelyn zipped up the dress. "I don't know," she said. "I'm not really a fan of mermaid or the other types. I've always wanted a ballgown."

"Well, you certainly got one," Kaelyn remarked. "I'm glad you managed to find one that actually looks good on you without my help. I can tell there's hope yet for you."

Maya laughed, and put on her heels with some difficulty, since the skirt was so large. But she managed, and she and Kaelyn exited the dressing room. "What do you guys think?" she asked the room at large.

"Picture!" Riley squealed, snapping a photo instantly with her phone.

The rest of the preparations passed very quickly; the other girls got into their dresses, bouquets were handed out, and then a very dashing Shawn Hunter stepped in through the door. "How's my little girl?" he asked proudly.

Maya gave him a hug. "Hi, Shawn, thanks for being here."

"I'd never not be," he told her. "You look beautiful. Your mother would be so proud."

"I know she is," Maya managed, burying her face into his suit jacket. "Thank you for walking me down the aisle."

Riley took another photo, this time of Shawn and Maya. She didn't know why she was taking so many, there was a hired photographer. She just wanted a couple of memories for herself, she guessed. "Okay, the ceremony is supposed to start in fifteen minutes, we need to get outside now."

The girls left the back room and headed out for the main hall where the wedding would take place, standing by the doors. Maya was starting to get anxious now, clutching Shawn's arm like a lifeline. "You're going to be great, Maya," Shawn told her. "Don't freak out, this is what you want."

Maya swallowed and nodded, her heart racing now. She heard the music begin to play, and the bridesmaids all shuffled into order. Izzy walked through the doors first, and five seconds later, Annette followed. Kaelyn gave Maya a wink before following Annette, and Riley squeezed Maya's hands before walking in. Maya watched as they all walked down the aisle, holding their bouquets, and went to stand in a line by the altar.

"Ready, kiddo?" Shawn asked her as the music changed.

Maya smiled and nodded. "Let's do this."

* * *

Josh's knees almost gave out when he saw Maya walk down the aisle. Her dress seemed to just float around her in waves as she walked towards him. He couldn't stop the smile he was wearing to grow larger. She was always beautiful, but today especially. He couldn't wait to marry her.

Maya reached him and Shawn passed her over to him. "Take care of her," Shawn told Josh.

"I will," Josh promised, taking Maya's hand.

Shawn found his seat next to Cory. Josh and Maya turned to face Eric, who was looking remarkably subdued as a minister. "We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of my little brother and Mayonnaise." Maya made a face but was still smiling. "I would ask that all guests leave their cell phones in their pockets, either turned off or silent, or my other brother might have to hurt you."

Everyone except Cory laughed.

"Now, I understand that both of you have prepared your own vows," Eric said, and both nodded. "Good, now, Mayonnaise, would you please begin?"

Maya laughed and nodded, turning to face Josh. She took a deep breath and let it out before staring right into Josh's eyes. "From the very first day I met, I always knew there was something special between the two of us. You took a little longer to convince, but we did manage to come to an understanding, and for that, I'm very grateful. It was never a crush, on my part. It was true and unconditional love. And I might not have known it when I was younger, but I know that now. I couldn't be any luckier to have found someone like you, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I've been waiting for this day my entire life. Our someday is today. And on our someday, I promise you this: I will stand by your side and fall asleep in your arms, I will learn and grow with you, even as time and life changes us both. I promise to laugh with you in good times and struggle alongside you in the bad times. I promise to respect and cherish you as an individual, a partner, an equal, knowing that we do not complete, but complement each other. I hope we have many adventures and grow old together. And most of all, I hope that our someday lasts forever." Maya never took her eyes off of Josh as she spoke, meaning every word she uttered.

Riley had tears in her eyes. Maya's vow was very personal and sweet.

"And Josh," Eric cued.

Josh almost forgot what he wanted to say, because Maya's vow had knocked him for a loop. But he recovered. "From the moment I called you gorgeous, Maya, I spent years trying to convince myself it wouldn't happen, and convincing you too. But I'm glad you were persistent enough for me to have a change of heart. The long game might have been your idea, but I've never had more fun playing any other game in my entire life. And now, I think we've both one. So let me say this." Josh squeezed Maya's hands, his heart racing now. "I take you as you are, and I always will, loving who you are now and who you will become. I promise to listen to and learn from you, to support you and accept your support in turn. I will celebrate your successes and mourn your losses as though they were my own. I will love you and have faith in your love for me, through all our years and that life may bring us. I love you unconditionally, and without hesitation. There's no doubt in my mind that our someday will last forever."

Almost everyone had tears in their eyes now.

"May we proceed to the exchange of the rings," Eric said, and Auggie and Ava brought Josh and Maya their rings, respectively. Maya put Josh's ring on for him and said, "I give you this ring, it's eternal band symbolizing the ever-lasting effect of our relationship."

Josh gave Maya her ring and repeated her words. "And now the signing of the official registry," Eric said, "which will be witnessed by the mother of the groom and the father of the bride."

The signing took a long time, as Maya almost stumbled in her dress. Thankfully, Josh caught her. But once that was finished, they returned to the altar where Eric said, "If anyone has issue with the union of these two, speak now or forever hold your peace."

When no one spoke, Maya looked at Eric with trepidation. Eric winked at her and said, "Then by the power vested in me by the state of New York, I pronounce you two husband and wife."

Josh pulled Maya in immediately, kissing her deeply and dipping her to the floor. Clapping and cheers filled the hall, but all Maya could focus on was her husband, kissing him back with all of her might. Finally, they parted, and Maya waved to the crowd.

Riley's gaze somehow moved from the married couple to Farkle's standing on the opposite side with all of Josh's groomsmen, Lucas too. She couldn't help but wonder what their wedding would be like. She didn't think it'd ever happen, seeing as he still loved Izzy. She'd made peace with it. She was going to go back to California and find Julian and give him another chance, if he'd let her.

That, at least, was better than nothing.

* * *

 **GUYS I ACTUALLY HAD TO GOOGLE WEDDING VOWS RIP ME LOL I HOPE THESE WEREN'T TOO CORNY**

 **The actual reception will be in the next chapter.**

 **I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS ALMOST OVER WHAT EVEN**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Lauren.**


	21. Twenty: Girl Meets Forever

**Last chapter! Time to get out the tissue box. -L**

* * *

Riley stepped up to the podium and clinked her glass. "I guess it's time for the maid of honor to make her speech," Kaelyn said. "Did you guys know that I was almost maid of honor? I was honored, of course, but I'd rather let Riley give the soppy speech and I'll keep you all laughing all night long."

"Please," James scoffed. "You aren't funny."

"Are you two done?" Riley asked loudly into the mic, amused. "You two fight like an old married couple, get a room."

Everyone burst out laughing.

"For the record, I am not into her, I am gay," James said to the room. "And she could never land this even if I was straight."

Echoes of 'oohs' sounded throughout the room.

"You wish you could get this," Kaelyn said, gesturing to herself. "But we'll let Riley have the spotlight now."

Riley shoved both of them out of the way, Kaelyn sprawling on the floor. "I apologize on behalf of the mic-hogs," she began. "I'm Riley Matthews, and for those of you who don't know me, and I'm ashamed to say there are a fair number of you who don't, I'm Maya's best and oldest friend. And also her niece, thanks to the fact that she married my uncle." Laughter. "But Maya and I have been friends since she crawled into my bay window when we were five years old. She was looking for a safe place, and she found it with me and my open window. In hindsight, that probably wasn't the safest thing, but I'll leave that to my parents to explain," she said with a grin. More laughter. "When Maya and I were in middle school, she'd been through a lot. It was hard for her to see any hope, in anything. I was the exact opposite, ever the eternal optimist. So despite our differences, we were the best of friends you could imagine. We had so many adventures throughout all our school years together. But when we left for college, our friendship changed. In the past year, we managed to reconnect, and here I am standing and talking about her. Now, Maya, I hope you know that you can't just drag Josh into crazy things because although he loves adventure, he does see consequences more clearly than you do. And Josh, I hope you know that there's no stopping Maya when she gets into something, and you're better off standing back and letting her do what she wants. But for the two of you, I watched your relationship grow from the very beginning. I was weirded out by the possibility of you becoming my aunt, Maya. Your feelings for Josh are indescribable, and your relationship is something I could only hope to have for myself. I love both of you and I'm ecstatic that you're officially part of my family, Maya, because you always have been. I wish you guys good luck. There's nothing you both deserve than happiness with each other, and I know you'll get that. I love you guys so much. Now, can you all join me in a toast to the happy couple?" Riley raised her glass. "To Josh and Maya."

"To Josh and Maya," Everyone else shouted, and Riley tipped her wine back.

"Thank you!" Riley said to everyone, and headed back for her seat.

Two hours later, when everyone was dancing and having fun, Farkle found Riley and pulled her outside of the venue. "We need to talk," he told her.

"Right now?" Riley asked, irritated. "Can't this wait?"

"No, because I know you've got to fly out tomorrow morning."

Riley crossed her arms and looked at him. "Then talk."

"What you said to be at the reunion the other day wasn't true," Farkle told her. "I mean, maybe a little bit, but-"

"Farkle, get to the point already, I want to go dance," Riley sighed.

"I don't like Izzy like that anymore," Farkle blurted out.

Shock filled Riley's dark brown eyes. "You're just saying that," she said uncertainly.

"No, I'm not," Farkle said, stepping closer. "I still like her as a friend, and I always will. And I will always hurt because of what happened between the two of us, but that's not a problem anymore. She's not a problem."

"You want her, you need her, Farkle. And I could never be her." It hurt Riley to admit that, but she knew they weren't meant to be.

"You're right, Riley, except you're wrong." Farkle took a deep breath and looked into the brown eyes he'd fallen in love with the moment they'd met when they were five years old. "I do want her, and I do need her. But _you_ are her. Not Isadora. You, Riley Matthews."

Riley didn't say anything, although her eyes were wider than they ever had been before. Farkle took both of her hands in his. "Riley, I love you," he confessed. "I always have, and I always will."

"You do?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch. Suddenly, Riley couldn't breathe. It was as if someone had taken the rug from right under her feet and she was falling eternally.

"I do," he said, his steady gaze the only thing keeping Riley's composure together.

Riley still wasn't convinced. "You're just saying that."

"Why would I just say that if it wasn't true?" Farkle asked her. "Riley, I love you, and I want to be with you. And I had to tell you this before you left for California and never came back to me. It doesn't matter if you feel the same way or not, because I won't regret ever telling you."

"I don't regret you telling me," Riley admitted softly.

Their hands were still together, fingers entwined.

"So what happens now?" Riley asked quietly. "I still have to go back to California. I don't have a choice."

"You always have a choices, Riles," Farkle said gently, touching her cheek.

"You know I really like you, Farkle, I told you as much yesterday," Riley said. "But how can we ever work out if we're on opposite sides of the country? You saw what that did to Maya and I."

"You and I are not you and Maya," Farkle told her. "And we can make it work. You said you were going to be travelling the country anyways."

"I do have a couple of competitions here," Riley admitted.

"Do you have to go back right away?" he asked her.

Riley smiled. "I guess I could stay for another week."

A slow song started from inside the hall, and Farkle took Riley inside to the dancefloor, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her arms encircled her neck, their bodies pressed up against each other as they swayed to the music. "I changed my mind," Riley told him.

"What do you mean?" Farkle asked nervously.

"I might love you back, Farkle Minkus."

Farkle didn't waste any time closing the little space between them as he captured her lips in a kiss. It was a sweet one, gentle, not too suggestive. When they pulled apart, Riley rested her forehead against his. "I guess we can figure something out," Riley giggled.

Across the room, Josh and Maya were sitting at the head table, watching. They were fairly exhausted from all the dancing and were taking a break. "Think something's going on there?" Maya asked as they watched Farkle kiss Riley.

Josh laughed, sliding an arm around his wife and kissing her cheek. "I think so, you?"

"Definitely," Maya said as Riley pulled back and laughed. "She deserves to be happy."

"Everyone does," Josh corrected.

"She's been through so much," Maya said quietly.

"So have you," Josh pointed out.

"Are you siding with me now instead of your niece?" Maya asked, surprised.

"Hey, Riley is always going to be my niece, but you are my wife. I meant every word I said to you at the altar today, Maya." Josh smiled at her.

"So did I," Maya said. She shifted to look at her husband. "Remember family game night? We played the long game? And our long game began then too."

"It was a very long game," Josh admitted, grinning.

"But it was all worth it, and I wouldn't trade it for the world," Maya told him. "I love you, Joshua Matthews."

"I love you too, Maya Matthews," Josh said, winking at her. "How long have you waited to hear that."

"Forever," Maya told him, and it was the truth. She'd waited forever for Josh to finally admit he had feelings for her, for them to finally start dating, and for them to finally get married. Forever was a long time, but it really wasn't when you had someone in your life you could always count on.

"Look at me," Josh said softly, and she did. "Our someday starts today, sweetheart."

"Our someday is forever."

 **END.**

* * *

 ***cue sounds of me sobbing***

 **I really really hope that was a good enough ending for this story. Thank you all for sticking by me for so long! I owe you all.**

 **Check out my new fic, All We Ever Wanted, if you haven't already! It's pretty good if I do say so myself. xD**

 **I love you love you love you all of you**

 **Lauren.**


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